Angel Memories
by Mysteryguy12
Summary: What happened to Sephiroth after his battle with Cloud. How far will he follow Riku, and how hard will it be to battle his past? New enemies and old, all out to break him. What is wrong with his Heart, and how are they connected to these new Nobodies?
1. My Light, My Shadow

This is a sequel to my other story Shadow Feather. It will follow Sephiroth through the time, if not the events, of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. I understand that Sephiroth is fairly out of character but do not bitch about that until you read Shadow Feather because that kind of explains it. If you read that and still disagree then you can flame if you want but flames should be well thought out.

I don't own Sephiroth or any of Square and Disney's respective characters or places. So leave me alone.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 1

My Light, My Shadow

Something was changing. Something in this void gave off a tiny ripple and something began to change. I opened my eyes. Silver wafted in front of me in tiny strands, contorting and whipping from side to side. The darkness rippled again. The void in front of me shuddered and exhaled, sending gusts of shadow streaming past my eyes. The whole world quaked. I let my feet fall to a floor that wasn't there. My toes clacked silently on the dark ground. The shadows quivered again. Something was changing.

But nothing changes in the Nexus.

My feet slapped the ground as I ran. Running wasn't necessary in this place but old habits are difficult to break. I was unsure how long it had been since I had pushed Cloud into reality. It didn't really matter; time chose not to exist in a coherent form in this place. Ever since I had left Cloud, I had been drifting aimlessly in shadows, ever floating, never changing. Nothing had changed in all that time. The shadows all looked the same, the Heartless still came and went. There was never any horizon, nothing but darkness.

But something was changing.

Again the darkness sent out ripples as they passed I felt something stripped from me. The air in my lungs, however unneeded, left me. My limbs grew numb with each passing undulation of shadow. My body did not slow though I could no longer feel it. I moved on through nothingness. Some intense gravity pulled me to the epicenter of this strange earthquake. Something was calling me. Something wanted me. Something needed me.

Was that light?

Behind me something shuddered and sent its own ripples through the darkness. I glanced back to see the void stretch on and on and finally stop at a small pinprick of light. There was never any light in this place, none but the golden beams that shine from the eyes of the Heartless. It grew larger, a blindingly brilliant white that consumed the shadows before it. I turned from the light and continued to run in the direction that the gravity pulled me. This light felt strange. I was no stranger to light, nor did the ever present shadows frighten me. But this light was…strange.

A…door?

At the edges of my vision, a bright white door appeared. It shone brightly in contrast to the darkness that surrounded it. As I drew closer it slowly began to open. The light behind me approached, burning my backside with the heat from it. Without breath I ran with everything I had toward the door. When I was close enough to see the hinges, the light overtook me. It stripped me of my energy and left me lying in the creeping shadows on the floor.

A child's voice burst through the opening door. The voice surrounded me, familiar and warming.

"I know now, without a doubt. Kingdom Hearts…is light!"

The wave of light burst forth from the door and tore outwards. Beyond the door, a man with silver hair and tan skin was illuminated before he screamed and disappeared. The light dissipated and left me again in darkness. White doors slowly closed and stopped with themselves slightly ajar. The child's voice again issued from the gaping crack against white wood.

"Come on!"

Footsteps rang out and small hands slapped against the door. The door shuddered and groaned loudly in protest and held its ground. Ahead of me, Heartless began to rise from the ground, taking form and opening glowing orbs.

"Stop staring and start pushing!"

I struggled to reach my feet. My body felt lifeless and numb but I rose onto my knees. With my own hair streaming downwards I gazed at the bright white doorway. There was a glimmer of silver at the edge of the door.

"The Heartless?"

"Hurry!"

"I can't…"

The boy's voice lowered in defeat and five fingers slipped away from the door. Two more hands gripped the side of the door and another voice rang out in the darkness.

"Don't give up!"

Silver shimmered and muscles strained as he pulled at the bright white doorway. He let a smile loose on his lips and bright blue eyes shone against the shadows. "C'mon Sora! Together we can do it!"

Brown hair appeared around the edge and another boy smiled widely. "Ok."

The Heartless grew closer to the doorway, looming over it and casting large shadows. I propelled myself to my trembling feet and began a stumbling gait toward the nearest one.

"It's hopeless!"

One of the large Heartless raised a shadowy arm and drew it back. Its yellow eyes flashed and a deep booming laugh issued from its chest. I couldn't get there in time! The giant black fist flew forward, aiming for the silver haired child. I reached out and screamed.

"Riku!"

Suddenly there was a flash of gold. A dark shape leapt back and forth cutting in and out of the Heartless. It was moving so fast that the golden weapon trailed light as it went. One by one the enormous Heartless burst into nothingness and the lone figure came to a halt and rose above the rolling hills of shadow. He was surrounded by glowing whit light, like an aura of purity.

"King Mickey!"

The small creature turned around and raised his golden key into the air. He pointed it at the white door and addressed the brown haired boy on the other side. "Now, Sora. Let's close this door for good!"

Sora protested but was reassured by his comrades that it was the right thing to do. Beyond the glow that issued from the king, more Heartless began to rise from the floor. They amassed themselves, jittering and shaking violently. I took a shaky step toward them and drew my blade from its sheathe.

"Don't worry. There will always be a door to the light." Mickey nodded his head with a knowing smile that seemed to put the boy at rest. Behind the mouse, the hordes of Heartless grew larger. I stumbled toward them, regaining my strength slowly. Riku's silver hair shimmered as he turned to look at the quivering mass of shadow and yellow lights.

"Now! They're coming!"

Mickey held his Keyblade out and pointed it toward the large white door. Through the crack I saw Sora jump away and raise his own Keyblade in the same fashion. Beams of light burst from them both and the doors slowly began to close. The Heartless began to dash forward at the miniscule king. Claws outstretched and slavering jaws open they jumped toward the mouse in frenzy.

A silver arc of light cleaved through the leaping wall of Heartless. Their eyes widened and then they burst apart, showering the king with splotches of shadow that quickly melted away. The Heartless took a collective step backwards as they watched me rise up before them. My hair fell messily over my face and congealed blood stained my side. I raised Masamune and sneered at the jittering crowd in front of me.

They paused for a moment and then glanced beyond me at the closing doors. Almost all together, they split and scattered in separate directions, streaming like ants to the doorway. I took after them with blinding speed, cutting into them again and again. With each slash another Heartless exploded into globs of shadow. They fell to the ground with arms stretching cut to the doorway in front of them.

Not a single Heartless reached the door. As I cut down the final Heartless I raised myself up and stood, bloodied and weary. The ground was littered with the remains of shadows. Several Heartless even tried to keep their form after I had cut them down and struggled violently without legs to crawl forward to the bright doorway. With several strokes of the Masamune, I cut down the final Heartless. Their glowing eyes faded into darkness and they melted into the dark ground. I turned to look upon the silver haired youth. He looked quietly out the doorway at Sora.

"Look after her."

And then they closed. I collapsed onto the ground in tears. My body shook with sadness and I pounded the dark ground with my fist. Masamune clattered to the floor beside me and I rolled onto my back and stared upwards into shadow. Riku stood a long time staring at the door. No tears fell from his eyes but his hands clenched and shook. He let out a long breath and turned to face King Mickey.

The mouse walked slowly towards us, stopping at my prostrate body. I was no longer breathing heavily, but tears streamed out of my eyes and pooled in my hair, turning it into a dark grey. No sobs shook my body; instead I lay, breathing deeply as I stared into a calming blackness above my face. I heard a small gasp to my right but didn't turn my head.

"Who…?"

Riku clapped his hand over his mouth and pointed a shaking finger in my direction. Sweat dripped from his temples and his eyes widened. My eyes were mainly dry though my cheeks were still damp from tears. I turned to look at the frightened boy. He stood, outlined by light cast from the door and surrounded by shadow everywhere else. He didn't belong here, in this dark place. He belonged in light. Why was he here? There was still innocence in his Mako ridden eyes.

"Mickey…who is he?"

The silver haired boy's voice burst into my ears and shattered my resolve. I stood up silently with my head lowered. My own silver strands fell softly across my face. Riku took a step back from me. Mickey shook his head quietly and looked upon me with sad eyes.

"I'm sorry…I know that you didn't want this to-"

"Quiet."

I raised a hand to silence the king. He looked at me in shock for a moment and then nodded quietly. After a moment I lowered my hand and turned to face the young boy. He looked confused and afraid, just like a child. He didn't belong here. This was what I was fighting against. I looked down at the boy and saw my own Mako blue eyes reflecting in his, deep and tired. I didn't know what to say, couldn't know what to say. Couldn't think of anything. But even with all of that, I spoke.

"Riku…I will find a way out of here."

The images or Riku and the bright door began to blur and tilt. I felt the rush of wind as the world began to fall sideways. Riku reached out to me but his groping hand soon faded away and blended with the shadows before my eyes closed. I hit the ground with a dull thud. My hair fell slowly around my face and as I closed my eyes I whispered one last time.

"For you…"

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This took quite a lot longer to write than I thought it would. Very hard to get into the groove and organize my thoughts at the same time. In any case, this is a sequel to Shadow Feather in case some people decided that they were to cool to read the first thing up top. SO if you don't understand whats going on and that bothers you…read Shadow Feather, and while you're at it, review it as well. I still want 100 reviews on that but its not likely at this rate so I'll settle for 50 if I can get even that.

I definitely want your reviews people, tell me what you think. Should I continue with this or is a sequel a bad idea? I value your opinions. Also I might not be updating this as fast as I did Shadow Feather because I'm not sure where I am going to go from here. It will follow vaguely the storyline of Chain of Memories, which I have played btw, but im not sure how I am to get there from here. If anyone knows how Riku got from Kingdom Hearts to that castle place…id love you to tell me because I don't feel like looking it up. I love you all! Later!


	2. That Glimmer In Your Eye

Chapter two! Woo hoo!

I don't own anything related to Disney or square so bugger off ok?

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Angel Memories: Chapter 2

That Glimmer in Your Eye

"Oh my god…"

Voices…

"By the looks of him…he should have been dead days ago."

Dead?

"And this wound…"

"We should try and heal that up."

"Stand back I need to cut his shirt loose."

Movement and a bright light. The brightness made my eyes push against my brain.

"Urgh…"

"Good. He's alive. Let's take a look at this wound."

"Looks like he…urp…"

"Hold it in. Stand back if it makes you nauseas."

"Yea…urp…ok."

More movement, something like footsteps. Someone sighed.

"Very odd…it was made by a sword but there are no exit markings at all."

"What does that mean?"

"It means someone cut into him but the blade never left."

"Weird."

I felt energy rushing past me.

"Stay quiet for a second Riku…I need to use Curaga for this one."

"Sure."

More energy rushed past and I felt a hand gently probe the wound on my side. It hurt really bad but I couldn't even move.

"Curaga."

The forceful words thrust white hot rods of pain into me. Golden and green light flashed in front of my eyes. My eyes flew open and a crimson fountain exploded from my mouth. My body flew upward in an attempt to grab at the lancing pains tearing through my side.

"Oh my god!" The sound of torrential vomiting came from my left. The crimson droplets that had escaped my mouth splashed in tiny spheres about my person. A hand flew out and thrust against my chest. I felt myself fall to the ground once again. A round head with enormous ears appeared over my face. The king looked me in the eyes and spoke through gritted teeth.

"Stay down. I'm not done yet."

I struggled against the powerful grip and received a sharp slap across my face.

"I said stay down!" Mickey glared at me with cold eyes. I lessened my struggling and eventually laid still. "Good." He smiled at me and lightly wiped my wound. "Ok…so I won't be using that spell anymore…it may have helped but it looked like it put you in a lot of pain…" I let a sigh of relief fall from my lips. "So instead I'll just have to-CURAGA!"

The pain returned and I bucked wildly, sending the king hurtling away from me. I gasped wildly and clutched at my side. With anger coursing through my veins I flipped onto my knees and struggled to my feet. I was breathing heavily and I took my hands from my wound. The mouse was sitting, rubbing his head with one eye closed in a wince. I closed the distance between us and picked him up by his suspenders.

"What were you thinking?"

The suspended mouse looked at me quizzically for a moment and then shrugged.

"That really hurt!"

"But your wound is healed."

I sputtered for a moment and then glanced at my hands. They had been gripping my injury only a moment ago but had no blood on them. I dropped the king and looked at the actual area that had been affected. All that remained was a small discolored line of skin. I prodded it carefully and then stepped back from Mickey.

"Erm…I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

"What the hell is going on here?"

Mickey and I turned to look at the speaker. Riku stood above a small puddle of vomit. His hand wiped a small trickle of it from his mouth and he stared at me with enormous distrust and confusion in his eyes.

"Who is this guy? Why is he here? How the hell do you know my name and what did you mean by what you said before?"

The king stepped forward with innocent eyes. He held out his hands and said, "Listen…Riku you need to-"

"Shut up Mickey! I want to know what the hell is going on!" He looked at me with frightened eyes. Eyes like that would slowly turn to hatred. The Mako danced and twisted into his eyes and they slowly changed from a boy's eyes to that of a being filled with anger. "What are you doing here? Are you some sort of spy from Ansem?" He shook his head and laughed derisively. "Well your master is dead so you can just bugger off."

I stared into those coiling eyes they darted back and forth, avoiding my own. The bright green faded to electric blue and then briefly to black before they returned to their usual aqua color. His hands twitched uncomfortably and his lip trembled with indecision as to what to say next.

"Well what do you have to say for yourself?"

A small smile crept onto my lips. He really was just a boy. He was simply a boy trying to grow up to fast. He looked for just a split second at me and our eyes met. His breath came up short and then he turned his head to the ground. Such a young boy. His gloved hands curled into fists.

"What's with that look?"

Mickey stepped forward but I raised a hand to silence him. He looked at me again and then nodded, retreating from the area. Riku shook his boot to remove some vomit from it and stepped toward me slightly. He raised an arm and swept his silver strands from hi face.

"What do you want? Who are you?"

He looked intently at my chest, afraid to meet my eyes. He scratched absently at my elbow and began to chew his bottom lip. Again he ran a gloved hand through his hair and let loose a small sigh. He stared at my bare chest and I could see his eyes once again dancing in a decision of emotions. When he looked up at my face, anger possessed his glowing orbs.

"If you can't give me an answer then I'll have to-"

"Look me in the eye."

His breath came short once again and he stepped back in alarm. His head rose slightly and then fell to stare at the floor. He shook his head which sent silver shimmers shining across the dark floor. I smiled again, slightly wider than before. I could feel his childish fear emanating from him.

"I can't"

"Why?"

Riku clenched his hands into tight little fists and then raised his head to gaze upon my chest again.

"Hell, I don't know! I just can't do it!"

"That's not good enough."

"Shut up! I don't owe you anything!"

"You own me a reason."

"No I don't. You can't…you can't tell me what to do." He looked briefly into my eyes and they flashed brightly before he averted his gaze.

"Why can't you look at me?"

"I don't know…whenever I see your eyes…I…get scared."

"Why?"

He trembled slightly and turned away. "I feel…I don't know. It feels like I…know you from somewhere." He ran his fingers through his hair. "It sounds stupid just saying it."

"Not at all."

His body tensed and went rigid. "I feel like…like we share something. Something unbreakable…but…it's not like we ever met or anything." He turned around and looked skywards. "I've never felt like this…and it's scary…so…that's why I guess." He continued to look skyward and then sharply glanced at my chest. "But it's not love. I'm not gay or anything."

The notion made me laugh.

"What? I'm not."

When my laughing had died down I looked at Riku once again and said, "Please…just look into my eyes."

Riku shook his head and shivered slightly. He hugged himself and then began to raise his head slowly. His eyes traced up my chest and over my shoulders. The rested briefly on my chin and moved toward my nose where they came to rest.

"Please."

With one last push his eyes connected with mine and he gasped loudly. He fell backwards catching himself at the last moment and flipping himself upright. He pointed a shaking finger at me and began to scream.

"What was that? Where was that? Who was that man? How are you doing this?"

"Do you remember anything of your infant years?"

"What the fuck does that have to do with this?"

"Do you?"

"No! But who cares?"

"That place is the Planet."

He stood up shakily and stared into my eyes again. His mouth thinned into a small line and he clenched his fists. "What are you trying to say?"

"This is where you were…born…so to speak."

"And who is that man? The one in the white coat?"

"You could say that he was your father."

"Why so much ambiguity about all this? 'So to speak' and 'you could say.' What is that all about?"

"That…doesn't matter now."

"And what do you mean by…'he _was_ your father'? I never even had a father in Destiny Islands."

"He died to send you there."

The boy shook and his eyes darkened. "This…this is too much."

"I'm sorry…but it's the truth."

"No. It can't be." He looked steadily into my eyes now. "How do you know all of this?"

"That doesn't matter either. All you need to know is that I will give everything I am to protect you."

"I don't need your goddamned protection!"

Riku charged forward with a fist drawn back. His feet clapped loudly against the dark ground and he closed the distance between us quickly.

"I only want to help you."

"I don't even know who the fuck you are! I don't need your help!"

His fist hurtled through the black air between us. The gloved knuckles of the young boy connected with my face. I stood my ground against the blow and Riku halted with his fist pressed into my cheek. His breath came heavily and his eyes were wide and wild. I reached out with both arms and gently caressed the boy's shoulders. He stayed perfectly still, panting heavily. My arms wrapped around him and drew him close to me. I embraced him and he fell limply into my grasp.

"I do not mean you any harm."

I felt warm liquid drip slowly onto my shoulder and Riku began to shake with silent sobs. His own arms slowly raised and rested, in a cautious embrace, around my waist.

We stood for a long time, surrounded by darkness in this position and would have remained there far longer had Mickey not interrupted.

"Hey guys! I'm sorry to interrupt but we have a tiny problem!"

We broke apart quickly and stared intently at where Mickey now pointed. A small pair of yellow eyes broke over the horizon and began to run towards us. I picked Masamune up from its place on the floor and assumed the ready stance. Mickey held out an arm and golden light flashed to reveal his Keyblade in his tight fist. Riku glanced around briefly and then dropped into a defensive stance.

The lone Heartless came to a halt fifty feet in front of us. Its beady eyes glanced back and forth and then it stood up on its hind legs. The small being began to morph slowly into something more human shaped. Shadowy legs protruded outwardly and then a mouth came into place. It smiled with unnaturally human lips.

Then its eyes began to change. First they faded into black until they could not be seen. Then they began to slowly reform. An iris flowed into existence and a pupil formed in the middle. Its eyes were a light shade of orange and filled to the brim with malice. The lips curled slightly and an even more malicious smile formed on its face.

"It would seem that you are not quite through with me yet, boy!" the deep bass voice permeated the air and came full force down upon Riku. He fell to his knees and stared with hatred at the strange Heartless in front of us. Through gritted teeth he hissed a name.

"Ansem."

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Alright! Updating time! SO heres the second chappie…sorry if it took to long to get Riku and Seph to hug. Also…I want to make it absolutely clear…as if Riku didn't already…that neither Sephiroth nor Riku will be gay in this or any of my other stories! SO do not get your hopes up! What they have is something more like father son love if that makes sense.

Three reviews on my first chapter! That rawks! Thank you to Unita, Lapse – Raevn and Heartsoblivion for their patronage to the I Want Reviews fund!

Also to anyone who read all of shadow Feather and reviewed it, I thank you all personally in the last chapter of it. I edited it so check it out to see if I thank you well enough.

I have a better idea of where I am going now so I won't take so long to write the next chapter probably. I might have it by Monday.


	3. Dark Hands

Wow…you guys are really on top of things. Eight reviews by the time I started writing this chapter…you guys sure are cool.

Sorry that my disclaimers aren't cool…I used up all my wit and witticism in Shadow Feather…I don't own any of the characters or places mentioned below.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 3

Dark Hands

(what's your plan?)

The orange eyes stared intently at Riku, boring a hole into him. Riku began to sweat from the gaze that was placed on him but he never turned away. Ansem's eyes remained stationary but the rest of his shadowed body flowed and undulated into various forms. He grew tall and then shrunk until he was simply a single line of shadow that wrapped around the two orange glowing orbs.

I gripped the handle of Masamune harder and looked from one figure to the other. Riku's eyes were fading to a dark shade of turquoise. His lip curled slightly and he bit down gently upon it. I flipped my gaze to Ansem's eyes. They remained impossibly stationary, not blinking because he seemed to have no eyelids to do so. Instead his malicious eyes stared directly into Riku's dancing pupil.

"How can you be here?" Riku asked the coiling shadow of Ansem.

Ansem's eyes whirled with glee. "How? Come now…that light was not so bright that it would eradicate me! Do you really think me so weak that I could be subdued by an overbearing flashlight?"

Riku shook his head and pounded the ground with a clenched fist. "Dammit…why are you here then?"

Ansem's shadowy lips let out a terrible howling laugh and his eyes widened in a look of madness. "Why…for you, my boy." His dark body solidified into two outstretched arms and he let loose a wide smile of confidence. "I have finally become one with darkness; we are one in the same. But I am on unsteady ground here. I need a host to let my powers mature. You did so well last time…"

I took a step forward to stand in front of Riku's kneeling form. Ansem's eyes flashed in confusion and then panned to gaze into my own. He stared for a moment and then glanced at King Mickey as well. He returned his intent look to me as if he hadn't notice that either of us had been there.

"Kings and wings, eh? Tell me Sephiroth, what do you plan to do this time?"

His voice sent a violent chill through my spine and into my feet. I gripped Masamune who quivered warmly in response. "I defeated you in this place before."

"And you plan to do it again?"

His matter of fact tone caught me off guard. He seemed not to care at all that I was willing to do battle with him. He sounded wiser than the last time we had met. And I could not forget how he bested me last time. I nodded slightly in response to his mocking question.

"Then what are you waiting for? I grow bored and I had wanted to test out what powers I have at this point."

Ansem's shadowed body shivered slightly and then bust apart. A small glob of shadow remained around his eyes. Slowly the ground began to flow upwards to meet the floating orange eyeballs. The floor connected silently with the slowly rotating glob of shadow and began to fan out slowly. Two thin arms became apparent and were quickly followed by the head and torso. The darkness near the floor began to melt slowly away from two vaguely leg shaped objects. Ansem looked down on his dark form and smiled with newly formed lips.

"Not too bad for my first try. What do you think?"

By the time he finished his sentence I was raising Masamune in an upward slash that would cleave the entirety of his work in half. The blade cut outwards faster that the eye could follow, leaving traces of silver light in surrounding darkness. Riku let out a small gasp as he beheld my attack and Mickey let out a low whistle.

Ansem's eyes widened at the approaching metal blade. Masamune shuddered in my hand as it neared Ansem's dark thigh. In a split second, Ansem danced away lightly and Masamune cut through nothingness. Without pausing I followed after Ansem. Masamune flipped over in the darkness and I brought it sharply down on the retreating shadow. Ansem ducked and rolled under the oncoming blade. As the Masamune passed the rolling figure I strained my muscles and changed the blade's direction. The reversal of motion caused my arms and wrist to groan loudly in protest.

Ansem regained his feet just in time to notice the silver blur approaching at a low altitude.reversal of motion caused my arms and wrist to groan loudly in protest.

Ansem regained his feet just in time to notice the silver blur approaching at a low altitude.reversal of motion caused my arms and wrist to groan loudly in protest.

Ansem regained his feet just in time to notice the silver blur approaching at a low altitude. At the last moment, both his shadowy feet left the ground in a desperate leap to avoid the sweeping cut. Instead of stopping Masamune I let myself spin in a complete turn and brought the sword upwards toward Ansem's suspended body. His eyes widened once again and his mouth opened to scream.

Masamune tore into his lower torso and left through his right shoulder. Liquid shadow spewed over my hair as it whipped over my face. Dark globs splattered across Masamune's blade and down to the hilt. Ansem stared downwards at his severed body as it parted slowly in midair. The dark lips opened wide and let out a terrible howl. I heard Riku from behind begin to vomit once again. Ansem's scream reverberated through the open expanse and caused my bones to shudder painfully. I fell to one knee.

Ansem's lower half fell to the ground and bounced, spraying the area with more liquid darkness. The upper half reached out its remaining arm toward me. The wide orange eyes flashed first with sadness, then with hatred, then with…joy? The howling ceased and the void grew silent as Ansem's upper half fell slowly to the ground. At the last moment the lips closed and widened in a terrible grin.

He didn't hit the ground. He fell right into it. His body melted into the dark ground without a ripple or splash. The bright eyes disappeared into the floor. I stood up in a panic and scanned the area. Masamune shook violently in my hand. I felt something whisk across my ankle and looked down to see two orange eyes staring up at me. A hand bubbled up from the ground and stroked my leg slowly.

Masamune flashed out and severed the dark hand which melted away into the ground along with the eyes. A deep laugh issued from all around me. Masamune quivered so hard that it seemed it would fall from my hand. A drop of sweat began to fall slowly from my cheek to my chin. A cold finger stopped the rolling droplet and wiped it from my face. I rolled out of the way and struck upwards with Masamune. Another hand bust into nothingness and the droplet of sweat dissipated in the shower of darkness.

I regained my feet and immediately took off in a stumbling run. All around me raucous laughter echoed and bounced off nothing. Hands burst forth from the ground in every direction and Masamune tore through each and every one. In front of me an enormous wall of shadow rose up and took the form of a crashing wave. I scrambled to a stop and dashed madly in the opposite direction. The wave of shadow crested and smashed down on my heels.

I fell forward with Masamune flying out of my hands. It clattered to the floor ten feet in front of me. I hit the ground which raised fands to cushion my fall. They lifted me to my feet and even as I pushed them away they brushed droplets of shadow from my clothes. My eyes searched wildly for Masamune. It wasn't on the ground. Where was it? I had seen it land. Something tapped me on the shoulder.

My hand tore out behind me and smashed a dark hand into nothingness. Behind me two large hands issued from the ground and held Masamune aloft. It was gently pushed toward me, as if it was being offered back into my hands. I took a step backwards. I was shaking roughly from my fear. The two hands once again offered my sword to me. With a scream I wrenched it from their dark fingers and began to run.

I ran through the dense jungle of limbs. Eventually they parted to reveal Ansem's original form. My eyes were wild with fear and passion. Screaming loudly I grasped Masamune and ran forward. Ansem smiled widely and raised his chin slightly, inviting me to come at him. I raised Masamune above my head and leapt high into the air.

Below me I saw a glint of gold to the right. It was moving towards Ansem who stood beneath me, waiting. He looked at me with expectant eyes. Someone screamed. Someone called my name. A golden light approached. Masamune tore downwards and Ansem melted away.

As he fell into the floor beneath, Riku's kneeling form was revealed. I couldn't stop the descending blade and I closed my eyes as it fell toward the shining head of silver hair beneath.

A loud clang issued through the darkness and I felt my arms creak under some sudden halt. I opened my tear stricken eyes to find Mickey standing beneath me. His Keyblade was raised in defense and against it laid Masamune's blade. Steel rasped on steel as I fell slowly away. I stumbled backwards to fall roughly to my knees. Masamune clattered to the floor. I let my hands grip the ground and tears began to fall freely downwards.

Mickey took a step forward and then stopped. I heard him breathe in sharply as if to speak, but only silence came. There was nothing to say. I had nearly killed Riku. The person I sought so strongly to protect…and I had nearly killed him. Not only that but I could do nothing to protect him from Ansem. I was completely powerless against the man and his dominion over this plane.

This was the end…no matter how I looked at it all, someone was going to be lost here. Riku, at the very least would be once again sacrificed in order for Ansem to gain even greater power. I heard a deep voice issuing around me but I couldn't hear the words. Mickey replied with something unintelligible and then he too left me. His feet pounded off into the distance to meet Ansem in battle.

I remained behind, staring at the slowly shifting floor. I couldn't do a thing anymore…it would be my fault if Riku was lost. It would be my fault for not being strong enough. In front of me I heard a small sound. The ground beneath me seemed to flow toward the sound and I raised my head slightly. Ansem's shadowed form loomed over the kneeling Riku. He raised one hand and placed it on the boys head. My mind was racing. There had to be something. I had to do something. God dammit there must be some way to save him.

Ansem's loud laugh began to issue through the air. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I could barely process my surroundings let alone the thoughts inside my head. Riku's eyes were shadowed by his cascading strands of silver. His mouth was open slightly and he seemed to be staring directly downwards as the towering figure of darkness laughed above him. Behind them both, the enormous door outlined them in bright white light.

A smile formed on his lips.

There was a blur of motion. Ansem stumbled backwards. Riku was standing with his hand thrust forward. They stood, suspended in time. I watched them against the bright doorway as their eyes met. Riku was smiling calmly as he twisted his hand deeper into Ansem's dark chest.

For a moment Ansem smiled back. Riku began to pull his hand from the slowly melting shadows. As his hand tore apart from Ansem he screamed loudly with effort. When he pulled clear from the man, he held something in his hand. Ansem fell backwards and splashed into shadow. Riku stood up to his full height and raised his prize against the light of the door.

I heard steps to my left as Mickey came up beside me.

"It's called the Soul Eater."

Riku gazed at the blade for a moment and then smiled at us. Against the door a figure began to form with bright orange eyes. Riku walked towards us and held out a hand to me. I looked at it for a moment and then took it in my own. As he helped me to my feet, Ansem's body fully reformed. Hatred shone brightly from his orange spheres.

Riku gazed into my eyes and smiled wisely. "Sometimes people can protect themselves." Ansem's shadowed feet began to move forward in our direction. "So how about instead of protecting me," Riku began. Ansem thrust out a hand and a small legion of various Heartless formed from the ground. Riku paused and looked at the approaching shadows.

"How 'bout you just fight beside me?"

Our eyes locked again and the Mako swirled in a crazy dance. A small smile crept slowly onto my lips and I held out my hand to him. His own gloved hand reached out and gripped mine. We stood there for a moment and then parted. I turned away and raised Masamune into the traditional stance.

"That sounds just fine to me."

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Whew…these chapters are getting very difficult to write. I have a very hard time whenever I try and change scenes. It is so hard for me to get things like that to flow the way I want them to. Could you tell?

Erm...also anyone who read this chapter before and saw that my title said "Something cool sounding" erm...that was just what I put before I decided on my title...for some reason it didn't save right and that was there instead...i suppose thats a bit of my vanity shining through...my bad.

In any case I can't believe how may review I have already. When I started Shadow Feather I was in the fourth chapter at least by the time I had eight reviews. I am really glad you guys are interested enough to leave reviews. I really enjoy getting them and you have no idea how much they help the creative process.

Speaking of which…thank yous for Unita (of course), Lapse – Raevn and heartsoblivion who also seem to be in the groove of reviewing as fast as I write, and Emmy19 for the review of chapter two.

I might take a little while longer on the update bcause i have recently discovered a fanfiction that will take up almost all of my time...Curse of Memory by Peter J Marcroft. It appears to a bitching novelization of Final Fantasy 7. 40 chapters. Each like thrice as long as this one you just read. And I plan to leave a review for every single one. Quite the epic task. but it looks so good and I will perservere.

It is getting harder to write chapters but I figure that things will get easy once I'm in Castle Oblivion. Later. Hope you had fun reading!


	4. Mixed Entities

Alright…I really want to get the hell out of Kingdom Hearts in this chapter. I'd say it's about damn time we got to Castle Oblivion. You agree? No? Well I am going to anyway.

I don't own any of the characters or places in this fanfiction.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 4

Mixed Entities

The floor beneath Ansem burst upwards, creating something of a dark pillar on top of which he stood. He rose above us with outstretched arms. Below him, Heartless began to multiply at a breakneck pace. They popped out of the dark floor in droves until they surrounded our small group and spanned as far as the eye could see. I tried to look at the crowd of shadows but my eyes couldn't quite focus on it all. The landscape shuddered and danced in an insane jig. Heartless giggled loudly and it filled the air with their mad cries.

Ansem stood above it all, looking down with a broad smile. His outstretched arms flailed wildly and lost their form in his frenzy. They morphed into enormous bat-like wings that stretched downwards and into the ground below. His legs lost their shape as well and intertwined themselves with the pillar he had been standing on. Enormous tendrils of shadow burst forth from his breast to crash loudly into the giggling mass of Heartless.

The ground bucked and rolled violently. All around us it rose and fell and formed wild half shapes in the darkness. Between Ansem, the Heartless and the quaking ground, there were only two inert objects. The bright door remained entirely motionless against the rolling waves of darkness. It stood as a pillar of light against the chaotic display of shadows.

The other complacent features in the roiling torrent of blackness were my two companions. I had to kneel and hug the ground for fear of being hurled from it. But as I looked at my fellow warriors I saw that they each were standing stock still upon unmovable ground. Mickey's Keyblade was shining a violent shade of gold that seemed to keep oncoming tremors at bay, while Riku's Soul Eater was humming with a dark noise. He held it nonchalantly over his shoulder while oncoming waves of darkness were halted and seemingly sucked inside the blade. It glowed a deep and dark red that almost seemed black.

These two beings looked fearlessly upwards at the wildly smiling face of Ansem. Their eyes shone righteousness and their breathing displayed confidence. They seemed entirely unworried about the slowly approaching legions of Heartless. They gazed quietly toward the being of darkness that was Ansem. There was power in their eyes.

I gripped once again at the ground to steady myself against another tremor. How could they be so calm? Hadn't they seen what kind of power this man held? Had they not watched me being humiliated and utterly defeated by this madman? How could they be so confident while I could hardly stand from fear?

Riku's eyes broke from his lock with Ansem and he turned to look at me. His eyes were distorted by the blood red aura from his sword but I could see they held compassion. He tilted his head for a moment and grinned widely at me. That sign seemed to set something loose inside me. Despite the vibrations beneath my feet I stood up to my full height. Masamune quivered in support and I drew it. The gleaming silver blade came free of its sheathe and I held it outwards, parallel with the floor.

"It's time, Masamune."

The blade sprang to life. The hilt ceased quivering and held itself completely still. The blade seemed almost to dim slightly. I felt a gate open between Masamune and I. Our respective powers flooded through the open gate and began to mix. Suddenly I felt sharper. My mind and body felt more refined, my movements felt quick and perfectly executed. Breathing felt more like a comfort rather than a necessity and the blade in my hand no longer extended from the hilt, but instead from my very essence.

I could see tiny lines in the space before me. Small white edges in the air. This is what Masamune could see. Everything could be cut, even the air itself. The jittering rows of Heartless moved slower now. With every second, I could see every opportunity that presented itself. Bright white lines formed that told me where I could cut and when in order to defeat, wound, kill or otherwise incapacitate my enemies. This is what a sword sees, and what I could see now as well.

As my new senses flooded my body, I felt my emotions thin and slowly fade away in the mixed solution of our collective consciousness. I looked for a moment at Ansem, towering and dark, and my fear slowly fell out of me. Even as my fear fell away I felt my compassion leave me as well. My love quietly drained away to leave me with the very essence of a sword.

I was sharp. I was strong. I was made to kill, made to cut and cleave through my enemies. It was not my place to judge what was right and what was wrong, who deserved to be slain and who did not. I was a sword, a sharp edge and handle. I was there to be used, to be wielded in competent hands. That is my purpose and that is who I am.

Despite this, I still maintained enough judgment and peace of mind to be the wielder as well. Masamune and I rarely let the wall break between us because if we were not careful, the bond could become so set and overbearing that I would cease entirely to be a swordsman. Masamune requires a swordsman of top notch quality, and without one, those that hold it will be destroyed by it. Because of that, and the fact that Masamune and I would be one, I would be forced to kill myself.

But now was not the time for hesitation. The moment required action. Opening the gate to form perfect synchronization between the sword and the swordsman was the only choice. And so it was done. My new eyes stared upwards to the towering black figure that was Ansem. He hovered over everything with giant wings and a crazy smile. His orange eyes glistened with madness.

But his body was covered in tiny white lines. Each line told me that I could easily decapitate, sever, wound and otherwise cause pain to my enemy. I searched over his body for a moment. The brightest lines were placed over his eyes, these would harm him the most, but something still didn't fit. I focused intently on the lines near his eyes.

Not a single one of them would bring death.

To a sword, this was impossible. Every living thing short of gods can be killed. There is always a vital point that can be exploited with the proper measures, some certain placement of an attack that would bring an end to a battle. But Ansem had none. I paused; both my human and sword attributes were halted in confusion. I turned to my partners and said, "He can't be killed."

There wasn't fear in my voice. That had escaped along with pride and various other unsword-like qualities. Instead my voice resonated with polite curiosity. I was generally interested in the impossibility of this unkillable foe. Riku glanced at me again and raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Hm? I'll have to disagree with you there," he said jovially. "If you really feel that way then you can take down the Heartless while we go after Ansem though."

I nodded at his statement. It wasn't my place to tell him what he could or could not do. He was another swordsman while I was a tool to be told where to go and what to kill. I looked down upon the roiling sea of Heartless. They danced and slowly crept forward under the wings of Ansem. The ones in the front lines had their mouths open in a wolfish grin. Tiny hands twitched and feet shuffled in the darkness.

"Idiots!" Ansem's booming voice resonated from above. "Even in this place you still defy me?"

Riku stepped forward confidently and held the Soul Eater forward. The glowing blade pointed between Ansem's blazing eyes. Riku smiled widely and cocked his head to one side. "That's what heroes do isn't it?"

Ansem paused for a moment and then let loose a wild laugh. "Heroes? You can talk big can't you? You know I'm not going to kill you." His enormous body leaned forward with a loud rumble. "But I would watch out for your comrades there." He returned his previous towering form and smiled widely. "That's enough idle chatter. Let's begin!"

The mass of Heartless let out wild howls and in a single fluid movement they all ran forward. Their tiny claws stretched in front of them, aching to tear us apart. Riku and Mickey stood back to back and faced the oncoming wall of shadows and yellow eyes. I watched them for a moment and then walked quietly toward them.

"Get down."

They each began to give me questioning looks but were cut short by the swiftly approaching blade. Masamune swung over their quickly dropping heads. The mixed solution that was out power emptied into the blade and gave it incredible strength. There was no shockwave or flash of light, but the approaching Heartless halted in their tracks all around us. For nearly a five hundred foot radius, yellow eyes dimmed to darkness.

All at once, the area erupted into shadowy globs. A sea of liquid darkness rose and evaporated in seconds. The remaining Heartless charged through the fine black mist without hesitation. Their brethren faded into nothingness but those that remained continued to approach. It was a fairly remarkable site.

"Holy hell…" Riku whispered as he struggled to his feet. I looked down at the boy. He was staring at Masamune with intense fascination.

"You said you would take on Ansem…I will take care of the Heartless."

Riku finally regained his feet and shook his head quietly. "Yea…yea we'll do that." He turned to King Mickey and shook a thumb toward Ansem. "Let's mosey!"

Riku thrust the blade of Soul Eater into the dark floor and immediately, enormous stairs of shadow grew upwards from the floor. The two once more glanced toward me, gave brief nods and then took off up the raised shadows to meet with Ansem. I turned to face my own would be attackers. The crowd of Heartless seemed to be just as large as it had been before I made my attack before. The leapt over and crawled under each other in fervor to reach me. The larger Heartless tore through the ranks, leaving their brethren decimated in their path.

Above me, the sounds of battle began to resonate and reverberate through the dark air. Riku's cries mixed with the laughing and occasional howling of Ansem. Brick red light mixed with golden flashes in a crazy melee of colors. Mickey roared something and a loud explosion could be heard. In front of me, Heartless grew ever closer, streaming around the white door at my six.

"Here it goes then."

Me feet flashed against the dark ground, completely eliminating the distance between the approaching Heartless and myself. I tore into the crowd and ripped the advancing lines to shreds. All around me, Heartless burst into darkness and evaporated. I drove onwards through the black mist that settled around me. Masamune and I carved a wide arc through the dense crowd and finally came to a halt.

The black smoke that the defeated Heartless created began to thin and disappear. When it was gone entirely, I found myself once again entirely surrounded by Heartless. They chattered wildly in frenzy and quickly made their way towards me. Without moving an inch from where I stood, Masamune shot out and cleaved through a wave of shadows. They burst into nothingness. I flicked my wrist slightly and another twenty evaporated into the fine black mist.

Again and again I obliterated the approaching beasts. For every hundred that left the battle field, one thousand took their place. The battle seemed to be completely endless. A small sigh escaped my lips and I rubbed my temples for a moment. In a swift spinning motion I cleared the area around my person. Hundreds of Heartless flew away and evaporated into nothingness.

"That's enough for now, Masamune."

Our consciousnesses broke apart from each other. I felt some of my own power drained away through the gate that separated us. Masamune pulled overzealously at my strength but I tore it from its grasp. Then our mixed solution thinned until we were separate entities once again.

I opened my eyes to see the now familiar site of enormous crowds of Heartless. They dashed forward to meet me in battle. Masamune fell limply to my side. I raised my open hand and flicked some stray hair over my shoulder. My body slowly encased itself in bright blue light.

"I shall take you to the promised land!"

Masamune was hurled skywards where it disappeared in a tiny glimmer. A thin and powerful looking Heartless broke through the ranks and darted forward toward me. As it raised its sharp shadowy claws to kill me, it was crushed beneath a falling rock that glowed red with energy. More boulders fell from the sky, decimating the population of Heartless. The roiling sea of shadow became pockmarked with enormous red objects.

My upraised arm grew limp and weak but it remained in the air as bright red energy began to surround it. My hair rose upwards from the gusts of wind that came from the floor. The enormous red boulders began to float through the sea of shadow, leaving destruction in their wake. Above me, a large glowing red orb formed and grew to epic proportions.

With a quiet command, the giant red stones exploded violently, crushing nearly a thousand Heartless in their collective explosion. The orb above my head sparked violently with unchecked power. I felt its weight begin to bare down upon my limp arm. Using everything I had, I sent the ball of energy flying into the concentrated mass of shadows. It flew slowly forward into the roiling mass of darkness and then disappeared as it hit the ground.

For a moment everything was silent. Nothing moved. I didn't breath.

And then everything flashed red.

I was thrown back from the violent explosion. Black mist scattered everywhere, carried by the wild winds of the explosion. I fell on my back and slid for several feet, carried by the backlash of the attack. My head knocked against something solid and I looked upwards.

Above me, Riku was tumbling through the air, headfirst. As he neared the ground, a large shadowy hand tore out of the ground and caught him mid-fall. From that hand issued a human shaped object that grew two large orange eyes. The pillar that my head had just been stopped against dissipated and faded into nothingness. Mickey fell from the sky as the pillar disappeared beneath him. He was unconscious, but still breathing.

He landed with a loud thump just as I regained my footing. In front of me, the figure of Ansem reached out a hand and placed it on the Riku's forehead. Riku appeared to be sleeping, probably unconscious like the king. I took off at a stumbling run toward the pair. Slowly, Ansem's body dwindled and began to funnel into Riku's skull. As I reached them, Ansem's orange eyes drifted slowly into Riku's and looked upwards at me. He gave one last wink, and then was gone.

For a long time I stood in the darkness, staring down at the prostrate form of Riku. His silver hair fell over his face and short ragged breaths caused his chest to rise and fall. I kneeled down and cradled his tiny head in my hands. His hair was soft and shiny in my hands. Was my hair like this when I was a boy? A single tear coursed down my cheek and onto my chin where it fell slowly onto Riku's forehead.

Behind me something whooshed and a loud gust of air came bursting from nothingness. Footsteps echoed against the floor as they made their way towards me and Riku. Black boots appeared by my side. They were nearly covered by a long length of black leather that seemed to extend upwards. I did not turn to see my new company but instead continued to cradle the boy's head in my lap.

"Axel…knock him out."

A hand placed itself against my neck lightly and a masculine voice spoke from behind my ear.

"Yes sir."

And everything faded to white.

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Ok…so…just to clarify something…I have played Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. I beat it both with Sora and Riku. With that out of the way I'd like to ask everyone here on question…WHEN THE FUCK IS KINGDOM HEARTS II COMING OUT? God…it was like supposed to be this December but they only just recently released images of an entirely new world…Wtf? Oh…for anyone who hasn't heard or seen the magazine scans…the new world is Tron. Fucking Tron. How crazy is that? It's awesome.

Thank yous for Unita, Vratix and Heartsoblivion for reviewing on chapter 3. Hope you enjoyed this one justa s much.

I really like the descriptions in this chapter…I think they work very well. I worked hard on this…so here you are. Sorry I don't have a longer Authors Note…I just don't have it in me tonight.


	5. Card Cost

Whew…took a while to get this one out but we are finally in Castle Oblivion. And it's about damn time to.

I don't own any of the characters of places below. mutterfucking Nomuramutter

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Angel Memories: Chapter 5

Card Cost

Voices echoed all around me. Bright lights flashed and dissipated against a constantly shifting backdrop or dark grey. Unintelligible sentences were exchanged as I spiraled upward toward a sickly green sky. Silver flashed brightly and a boy appeared in the distance. He lacked eyes and a nose and was left with a completely blank space between his forehead and his mouth. His lips parted slightly and he said something. The surrounding noises swallowed up his voice and tore it from my ears.

"Wait!" I cried. The noises grew louder as the boy continued to speak. His words were just beyond my hearing. Instead my ears were filled with smashing and someone screaming. A crash echoed from my left and a train whistle gave a loud screech in the distance.

"SHUT UP!"

The world went black. My back exploded into darkness and shadow. The form of a wing made itself apparent before distorting and curling around to infect the green sky. The creeping shadows leeched over my shoulders and down my chest. The nearly featureless boy floated forward and smiled kindly at me.

I felt the darkness begin to constrict my movements. My arms slowly froze up under the suffocating shadows. It began to crawl slowly up my neck and over my chin. The darkness circled around my mouth and eyes and I felt it avoid my ears as well. Everything was silent except for the sounds of my struggling.

"What did you say?" I fell forward onto my knees, nearly motionless from the binding darkness. "Please! I need to know! What did you say?"

The smiling boy leaned down to me and small fangs grew apparent in his wide grin. His hand reached past me and beyond my view. The skin above between his mouth and forehead began to bubble. Quietly he brought his hand back into view. In it he held a glittering heart shaped object. Suddenly it was harder to breath. His bubbling skin melted away to reveal two bright orange eyes.

The dark world suddenly shuddered as the boy clenched his hand. The glittering object sent out spasms of light and then exploded into silver confetti. A myriad of sounds exploded all around me. My chest felt as though it were being pounded on with a mallet. The boy with orange eyes smiled wider and wider. His teeth parted slightly and everything went silent again.

"You couldn't protect me."

Air exploded into my lungs and I wrenched myself from the ground. My eyes opened to see sweat fly out in tiny droplets from my forehead to fall with tiny sounds on the white tiled floor. I clutched violently at my own chest. My eyes darted around the bright white hallway, searching for the boy with the orange eyes.

"NO!"

"Oh be quiet."

A deep voice resonated from behind me. I whipped myself around, silver hair splaying out in all directions. Against a large white pillar perhaps ten feet away, stood a tall black robed man. He stood with his arms crossed and a large hood covering his face. How long had he been standing there? I scrambled to my feet and reached for Masamune. My hand passed through open air.

"Your sword?" The man pushed away from his place on the wall. His arms fell limply to his side. I couldn't see his hands; his sleeves seemed to be too long. His hooded head tilted to one side and he raised one of his arms in a wide gesture. "You have no need for that right now."

"Where is it!" As soon as I spoke I chided myself for letting my voice betray how panicked I was at the moment. I needed to calm down. Taking a moment, I stood up straight and smoothed my unruly silver locks. After they fell into order, I paused to wipe away the beads of sweat slowly coursing down my face. After blinking several times and then hardening my gaze I looked at the cloaked man and repeated my question. "Where is Masamune?"

The figure raised an arm and reached inside his leather cloak. From within it he drew Masamune. The blade was in its sheathe and the man gripped it firmly with hands that didn't appear to be there at all. He hefted Masamune and then threw it in the air. The sword flipped in mid air. The cloaked man issued a black gloved hand from the depths of his sleeves and reached out with a single swift movement.

"No! You'll die!" I made for the man but I was moving far too slow. His gloved fingers wrapped roughly around Masamune's hilt while his remaining hand gripped the scabbard. Moving at an incredible speed he tore Masamune from it's sheathe and held it horizontal to the floor on which he stood.

I halted in my charge and clenched my fist tightly. The man's cloak began to move slightly, as if being pushed by some unseen wind. The leather flapped wildly and the man began to glow a deep brick red. The red energy enveloped him and surrounded him in a powerful aura. As the aura expanded it became laced with purple veins of energy. The purple flashed and danced wildly in the glowing orb of power that surrounded his body. Masamune began to rattle loudly.

I turned away from the sight and closed my eyes. A sigh escaped my lips and mixed with the wild rattling that came from behind me. It had been so long since the last time anyone had tried to draw Masamune. Visions of Hojo's laboratory began to flash in my mind. I recalled the first time Masamune had been set before me. Hojo had been so excited with his little laptop computer sitting on his lap, fingers poised and ready to take down anything he observed.

Shinra had discovered it in the North, buried under an enormous snow drift. They had spent several days excavating and when they retrieved it, they brought it back to Midgar. Five people died along the trip. The first was the man who finally removed Masamune from its icy cage. He got overzealous and tried to draw the blade immediately. He was immediately devoured by the same power that was exploding behind me. Two more men died when they tried to pry it from his dying fingers. After that the members of the expedition decided not to touch the sword until they returned it. Unfortunately, a member of the military got it into his head that only a warrior could wield it and tried to draw it himself. He died along with a friend who attempted to pull it away before his comrade was killed.

Masamune is a dangerous object not to be taken lightly. There was a loud bang and a bright red flash issued from the opposite end of the hall. For a moment I did not turn around, I only looked at the floor and shook my head. Masamue clattered to the floor. The metal rang loudly against the tiles.

"Masamune can only be wielded by one person," I said aloud. "Its power will kill anybody else."

"Well it's a good thing then…" As the deep voice sounded from the end of the hallway, my eyes went wide. I whirled around to stare at the speaker. The hooded man stood against the white pillar. Steam rose from his person and sparks of purple lightning coursed up and down his body. In his hand he held Masamune's scabbard which blazed with blood red fire. In a swift hand motion, he ran his gloved fingers along the length of the sheathe and the fire disappeared. "That I'm not an anybody."

At his feet, Masamune shuddered like a wounded animal. It twisted slightly and began to rub slowly against the man's leg. The leather leggings quietly gave way to the sawing motion of Masamune. The man looked down at the naked sword and stepped sharply down on the hilt. His stomp caused Masamune to flip into the air where he once again grabbed the hilt in his gloved fingers. His grasp caused Masamune once again to spark into dark red fire but instead of holding onto the flaming blade, the man hurled both scabbard and sword in my direction.

The scabbard crashed to the floor and slid to a halt at my feet. Masamune flew through the hallway towards me. As it soared through the air it spat tendrils of dark flame and violet lighting back at the hooded man. As they neared the shadowed face of the man he shuddered slightly and then moved out of the way. His dodge was so quick that he left afterimages of himself in his wake. The tongues of energy paused and then pursued the retreating man.

Faster then the eye could see, the man's hands both burst into bright red light. Rods of red energy issued from his sleeves and whipped outwards to cut through the approaching strands of burgundy and violet. Masamune screeched loudly and its energy dissipated and faded away. It fell beside me with the point piercing into the bright white tiles to stand inverted by my side.

The man's bright red energy slowly retreated into his black sleeves and disappeared. After a moment, the hood turned to face me. He crossed his arms and stood facing me. He looked as though he were waiting for me to say something. Next to me, Masamune shuddered slightly, as if whimpering. I placed my hand on the pommel for reassurance.

"Who…what are you?"

The black cloaked figure stood motionless against the white wall. A momentary fear shot through my heart and caused my breath to catch in my throat. In a second, that fear receded and I could breathe again. What was that? What made me feel that way? The man stepped forward and then…disappeared. Before I could even register what to do, he spoke again.

"If I said that I am not anybody…"

Behind me? I whirled around to find the man standing atop a platform. Gleaming white stairs led up to it and further behind the man was a bright white door. To each side of the stairs rose two white pedestals with stone sculptures of blooming flowers. How had I not noticed this before?

"Then it stands to reason that I am nobody."

I gripped Masamune and wrenched it from the ground. "What do you mean by that?"

For a moment the man seemed to look amused. Odd…how could I tell that if I can't see his face? He didn't move in such a way to appear amused…what was going on? He cocked his head to one side and raised one arm. From inside the dark sleeve, his black gloved hand appeared holding a white card. He glanced briefly at the card and then returned his gaze to me.

"Would you like to change it?"

His question made me lower my guard. "What?"

"What would you give if you had the chance to change your past?"

My past? Change it? Everything, anything. I would give everything I had to change things. "But…that's not possible."

"Perhaps…" with a flash of movement, the card flew from the man's black hand. It soared across the platform and down toward me. At the last moment, my hand flew up and snatched it from its flight. I looked down at it. It was completely blank. "But would you like to try?"

"What is this?" I said while holding up the card.

"The key."

"To…my past?"

The hooded man gazed upward at the doorway behind him and then down at me again. "To the future."

We stood for a long time, looking at each other. Finally I nodded quietly and sheathed Masamune. As the hilt guard connected with the opening of the scabbard I looked again at the white card in my hand. A picture began to fade into existence on the card. A picture of a familiar looking planet solidified onto the front of the card. When it shone sharp on the surface of the paper I looked once again at the hooded man. A smile came to my lips.

"You know…you're quite the enigma."

The man cocked his head and crossed his arms. Slowly he began to fade away, losing substance and color as he went. Before I could no longer see him, his voice resonated through the hallway again.

"So I've been told."

With the man gone I walked quietly toward the white door. It was, for the most part, featureless. There didn't appear to be a handle anywhere on the wooden surface. The card in my hand grew warm as I approached the doorway. When I stood in front of it, the card began to shudder slightly. I glanced downward. It was glowing in my palm.

Unsure of what I was doing, I raised the card high above my head. It resonated with a high note. The door began to quake slightly, and then it too began to make noise. The card and the door sang out in harmony and the music filled the hallway. The door suddenly burst open and bright white light filled the hall. Something inside me told me that it was not the time to hesitate and I stepped through the doorway into the bright light, unsure of what I would find.

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Holy crap…that took so long to write. So I figure I owe faithful readers an apology and an explanation. So…I'm sorry, and my explanation is that I just discovered that I can download excellently subbed Bleach episodes off of a site that I can't write here because fanfiction will cut it out. In any case… that has been occupying the majority of my time, not to mention some icebergs were hit between my girlfriend and myself recently. But pity me not! I am thoroughly enjoying my life even with the enormous amount of schoolwork I have allowed to pile up everywhere.

I like this chapter. About the Enigmatic Man though…do I have his power right? I've never played Final Mix so I never fought him. I've seen like…a coupla screenshots though and some commentary about him and I think he has like lightsabers or something. Anyone who knows better, please let me know because I am sure there will be some kind of fight between him and Seph by the end of this story.

Speaking of fights…I should never have so many in a row again. It is _mad_ hard to write normal stuff afterwards. You get into this groove and suddenly it's all you can write. Weird.

Thank yous for Vratix, Unita, someone100001, heartsoblivion, and anime warrior girl. And I hoped you enjoyed the chapter…I hope I don't take this long to get the next one out.


	6. Forgotten Tense

Erm…due to this chapters nature…it should probably belong in the final fantasy 7 section of fanfition…but don't let that stop you. Pretty much this is speculation on Seph's past played out in Castle Oblivion…cept without numbered cards to get to the next room. None of that nonsense. Here we go.

Don't own any of the recognizable characters or places. If you don't recognize it do I own it? As far as you know…I do. Sucker.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 6

Forgotten Tense

"Good morning Mr. Sephiroth, how are you feeling today?"

A man with glasses was staring down at me. Dark chestnut hair cascaded downwards over smiling eyes. His eyes glowed strangely, some kind of light aqua. None of the other men's eyes glowed like that. A wide grin was held steadily below a somewhat crooked nose. His large hands gently shook at my covered shoulders. With a yawn I reached out of the silk sheets to rub the sleep from my eyes and brush the man's hands away quietly. Obediently he stepped backward, always smiling.

After the final bits of crust fell away from my eyelids, I reached my hand up to my shoulder and rotated it slowly. A small ache was present that throbbed softly toward the middle of my back. Once I had stretched both of my shoulders I reached forward and strained my hands out as far as I could. The man stood quietly to the side while I preformed my morning stretches. His smile only left his face for a moment while he coughed slightly. With one last flex of my leg muscles I hopped out of my bed and stood up.

"I'm alright." My voice seemed slightly off, as if it were an octave higher or so. That was odd but what seemed stranger than that was that my mind told me that wasn't out of place at all. If that were the case…what was telling me that my voice wasn't right?

"Is something the matter Mr. Sephiroth?" The brunette leaned forward concernedly. "Something hurting you?"

"No, it's just…well…my right shoulder aches a bit." I glanced for a moment towards the source of the dull throb, and then back at the man. He was staring intently at my shoulder. For a moment his eyes flashed blue and then faded to their normal color.

"Your…right shoulder? Sir?" He asked nervously. I gave a small nod and patted the aching area. "Not the left one?"

"No. The right shoulder." The smile left his face but he quickly covered it by chewing nervously on his white sleeve. "Is there something…wrong with that?" I asked.

Immediately the smile returned. The man straightened up and rubbed the teeth marks from his sleeve on the bottom of his lab coat. "Not at all, sir!" His smile widened further as his eyes flashed again. "In any case, it's time for you to get dressed and get ready for the day. I'll leave you be, meet me at table three alright? I'll have your food waiting, sir."

The man whirled around and headed for the exit. He walked quickly, as if wanting to get out of the room. I watched him quietly for a moment and then decided better of it. "Uhm…excuse me!" The man turned around mid-stride and nearly tripped over his own feet in the process. Fear flashed across his face. Was he cowering? "Uhm…I just wanted to say thank you." The appreciation did not have the desired effect. Instead of becoming more comfortable, the man began to twitch slightly. He looked absolutely stricken with terror. "You know…for waking me up and getting my breakfast."

"I don't need to get you breakfast if you don't want me to!" His voice cracked several times and came out as a gasping wheeze.

"No…it's very nice of you. So…thank you, Ikusa." With that last sentence, Ikusa saluted, bowed and tore through the doorway. I sighed deeply and looked down at the chrome tiles at my feet. Why was he scared of me? And…when I said his name…why did it feel like I was remembering it from years ago?

With these thoughts running circles in my mind I began to dress myself. The clothes I was to wear seemed to be more geared toward combat. Fantastic…another combat test today. That would make two in a row now. Don't they normally give me a day or so in-between? I guess it doesn't matter though. I pulled the leather pants over my underwear and set out for the cafeteria.

The halls were all exactly the same; bright white extensions with identical grey doors every twenty feet or so. Men in lab coats bustled through intersections with clipboards in their hands. Very few of them ever exchanged greeting, only data and notes. Crowded as the hallways were, I found it was easy for me to navigate them. Not once did I even bush a passerby. Turning a corner I very nearly collided with a particularly hurried scientist. He screamed and hurled himself to the side to avoid contact. His fall was cushioned by several other men in lab coats who all gave him venomous stares.

"I-I'm ver-very s-s-sorry M-Mr. Sephiroth sir!" he fell to his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground. I paused for a moment and looked down at the prostrate man.

"It's…alright." He looked up with bewilderment. "Don't worry about it, it was just a mistake."

"Yes sir! It won't happen again Mr. Sephiroth." He leapt up from his prostrate position and brushed dust away from his white coat. He bowed one last time and turned to hurry away from me. As he ran he turned to look back at me with a puzzled expression. As he did that he ran into another individual.

"Oof! I'm sorry…" His eyes trailed upwards to the new man's face. As they reached the features he jumped back in alarm and immediately threw himself into a deep bow. "Professor Hojo, sir! I am very sorry!"

The pale, crooked man peered down the length of his curved nose at the bowing man. Silently he propped his spectacles further up that nose and sighed loudly. His greasy hair fell in unruly strands over his face. He absently swatted at the strands in front of his eyes. Again he let out a deep sigh.

"You shouldn't say things that you can't hold to, boy."

"Sir…?"

A white flash lit out from Hojo's person. His hand moved fast but I was able to see it as though it were in slow motion. The back of his fist connected with the man's jaw and sent him crashing to the ground. His head made a sickly cracking sound as it connected with one of the support pillars lining the wall.

"Stand up," Hojo commanded. The man lying on the ground twitched and placed a hand against the wall for support. He slowly levered himself upright. There was a trickle of blood running down his forehead and over his eye which he quickly wiped away. Why did Hojo hit him? A little voice in my head said one word, inconsequential, and I decided to leave that question alone. I would be…better off that way.

"Where are you headed to in such a hurry?" Hojo peered through his spectacles in disgust at the cowering man.

"I'm sorry, sir, I-I'm new you see and-"

Again Hojo's fist flew out and caught the younger man across the face. This time the boy was ready for it and only staggered back against the wall, as opposed to crashing into it. "That wasn't the question!" Hojo thundered.

"I'm sorry, sir!" Tears of anxiety began to well in the young man's eyes. I took a moment to glance around the hallway. It was now nearly deserted. No one came around the corners but I could tell that at least five people were waiting around each one, watching what was taking place. I should do something. As soon as that thought came to my head, the same simple voice sprang to life and said plainly, it is not your place, and that was all.

"I was going to lab 4, Professor Hojo, sir!"

"Not anymore," came the professor's simple reply. I heard a small gasp issue from around the corner. "Accompany me to lab 1. I have a special assignment for you in particular." The man fell to his knees and began to sob. Hojo glanced downwards once again for a moment and then turned to me. "You too, Sephiroth. You don't have time for breakfast anymore. We need to get down to work right away."

"Yes, professor Hojo, sir," I replied automatically.

The three of us walked down silent hallways, without a word to one another. The only audible sound was that of our luckless companion's small sobs. He clutched feverishly to his coat and shuddered with the effort of keeping his weeping silent. As we turned a corner, a small group of men came into view. They glanced in our direction and then swiftly dispersed in separate directions. Why is everyone scared of us? That does not concern you.

At last we came to two large steel doorways. Hojo stopped and myself and the other man followed suit. Quietly he motioned for the two of us to proceed through the left doorway. The other man let out a small smothered gasp that sounded vaguely as though he were saying "no" but cut himself short as he received a glare from Hojo. The two of us walked slowly through the sliding steel doorway and I caught a brief glance of Hojo making his way through the door on the right. Behind us the door shut with a soft purring of gears and electricity. The soft 'kushunk' of the doorway sounded and the man beside me fell to his knees.

"Oh god…oh god." Tears fell freely from his eyes and onto the bright white tiles. What's wrong with him? "I'm going to die…I…I'm going to die here." Why? Why was he so sure of this? "What did I do?" What did he do? "How the _fuck_ do I deserve this?"

"What's wrong?" As my mouth formed the question, something in my head began to buzz. It grew louder and louder until it felt as though it were pounding at the inside of my skull. The man pounded the ground with his fists and looked up at me with a tear streaked face. Why did that face seem so familiar? Why did I feel like this had happened before? Why does this feel like I'm recalling some distant childhood memory?

"Please…you…you can help me can't you?" His voice was dripping with desperation. "I know what you are but…god dammit your still a child aren't you?" He…knows what I am? Aren't I only a child? Why does he have any question about that? The buzzing grew into a cacophonous roar in my head. "You must have some kind of innocence, some kind of child's innocence…don't you?" Why did I know what he was going to say next? How so I know what he's going to say next? He's going to grab at my pants next.

The man shuffled toward me on his knees and reached out to grab hold of my pant leg. He stared up into my eyes with his own blurry wet ones. Why does this all feel like a memory? Why does the present feel like the past? He clawed up my body and came to rest on my shoulders. He looked me in the eye with frightened eyes.

"Please…don't let them kill me…don't kill me. I…I have a wife. Dammit! I have-"

"Two children and one on the way." The words fell from my mouth before I knew what I was saying. The look in his eyes changed briefly from fear to surprise.

"How did you…?" He shook his head and continued. "Please…I'm begging you. They need food…that's the only reason I work at this godforsaken place."

"I don't have any love for Shinra. What they do is disgusting." The crashing noises in my head grew louder. My hands left my sides and rose up to grip my surely rattling skull. I pulled at my hair and began to tear at it. This did not make the noise subside. I looked back down at the man who had now removed himself from me and was backing up slowly. Staggering, I made my way to the kneeling man. My hands shot out and dug into his shoulders. Memories of the near future kept flooding into my booming mind.

"I have a name. I'm not just another face in the crowd. I lived my life fairly and never meant anyone any harm." Terror began to creep its way across the crouched man's face once again as I began to scream the words he should have said. "And what the hell did I do? What the hell did I do to deserve this? Dammit I know life isn't fair but what the fuck!"

"Stop it…"

"So I'm asking you to help me Sephiroth! You're strong enough to get us both out of here! For the love of whatever you hold sacred help me! Don't you have any compassion?" I paused for a moment and took a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm myself. At this point my head was screeching with terrible noises. At the front of it all came a single voice screaming at me to shut up and kill the man in front of me. "Is that what you were going to say? Are those the words you were going to use? Why do I know that? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING TO ME? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME?"

The noise became overwhelming. I hurled the man away from me where he crashed into the wall and crumpled to the floor. I clutched desperately at my screaming head and stumbled backwards. Where is this all coming from? Why do I know all of these things? What is going on? Why does it feel like there are two of me?

Stop asking questions, only then will the pain go away. Kill the man and be done with it.

Shut up! I'm done with you, you loveless bastard! Dammit I'm better than this! Change it! Change the-

Shut up! It's impossible! Kill the man Sephiroth! Stop the pain and kill him!

They're using you! Get away! Run away and change your fate!

It can't be changed. Kill him now and the pain will stop. That is what matters Sephiroth! Do it now!

"SHUT UP!"

Sweat was pouring out of my forehead and into my eyes. Why are there two voices? Why are there two people inside my head? Why can't I tell which one to follow? What do I do? Why can't someone tell me what to do?

"What the hell is going on?"

Movement, across the hall. The man shifted in his seat and bowed his head in fear. He trembled and sweat fell from his brow to the floor. He was trying to say something. Small noises issued from his throat, almost like he was choking on his own words. Don't say anything. Please don't say anything. If you say something now it will be too much.

"Please…help me…"

In a flash I was across the floor with my hand buried down to my elbow in his chest. Blood exploded out behind the man and on to the wall behind him. His frightened eyes looked at me for a moment and then glazed over. White liquid smeared its way over the iris and pupil and made them fade slightly. I couldn't breathe. I was breathing so heavily though. Why is everything so opposed to itself? At the end of the hallway, a large white door opened. The door looked familiar…so familiar.

Then it all exploded back into me. In the doorway, Hojo stared, looking down at me with my hand so bloody and gruesome. A smile eked its way into place on his otherwise bland face. Tears, too large for my eyes began to form and fall swiftly from my lids. Is everything so bound to repeat itself? How had I forgotten? What made me forget who I was? Who I had become? Dammit I should have changed things…I could have…dammit what is wrong with me?

The buzzing in my head was replaced by an intense feeling of sadness. How could I have lost who I was? I want to protect people now…am I that weak that I could forget that? This man…this corpse now…I remember him now all too well. He was the catalyst. He was the first man I ever killed; the first person I ever let go and killed without reason. He was where it all started. I was given a second chance…and I blew it.

Hojo began to laugh in the doorway. It was the same doorway I had entered to come into this memory of the past. Quietly, I removed my bloodstained hand and walked slowly toward the doorway. As I drew nearer, the laughing grew louder and louder, deafening me for a moment as I drew up next to the giddy scientist.

"I will beat this," I told him quietly as I passed.

As I strode under the arch of the doorway, the whole world flashed white and disappeared. I felt the weight of the paper in my pocket disappear and I looked inside to see the card slowly turn to ash inside. My eyes reopened to the familiar look of a bright white hallway with yet another plateau with a large white door. I paused for a moment and then stepped forward to allow the door to shut behind me. It crashed shut and Hojo's laughter was cut off. For a moment I stood in silence in the white hallway until the hush was interrupted with a foot coming to rest on the tiled floor.

"Hojo…as a fellow scientist I envy him." Stepping from behind a pillar, a somewhat aged man with long blonde hair came into view. He wore the black leather suit that Axel and the others wore. In his hand he held a large blue shield. On his face he held a large sneer. He looked at me with apparent interest. "And as an experiment…I am very curious about you, Sephiroth."

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Oh my god. This took so long to get to. First I was in trouble with my girlfriend…then I started watching Bleach…then Naruto fansubs until I couldn't stop…it seemed as though, for a time, Angel Memories would needed to have been put off for a long time because I was so obsessed with Bleach at the time.

But then, like a knight in shining armor cresting a hill and charging to my rescue…xsaturnine arrived. For anyone who doesn't care to here me rant about just one of my reviewers…you can skip til the last paragraph but I think it is necessary that I write this. Ok…so I know I said back in Shadow Feather that I would stop giving preferential treatment to xsaturnine…but she deserves it this time. Just as I was on the brink of giving up writing for a time...now more likely because I am mad sick…I logged onto hotmail to check my email and…lo and behold…8! 8 reviews! All at once! Good lord who can they be from? Surely not only one person? They are? Well then it couldn't possibly be…

And it was. Xsaturnine…who I had long though to have disappeared from my review pages…had returned. Do not think for a moment that you have any reason to be apologetic. Even if I minded the lack of recent reviews…your ability…no…your gift to give me reviews at the most needed junctions more than make up for it. You gave me the motivation needed to continue and not only that but enjoy it. So xsaturnine…I thank you. And don't worry about not coming in a while because you are the roxxorz anyway.

And to all you other people who are not xsaturnine…which should be the majority of you…I thank anime warrior girl for yet another awesome review, vratix and heartsoblivion for the same and of course Unita for being awesome as always and reviewing right away…I'm sorry it took so long guys…I will try and do better next time I promise.


	7. Icy Ersatz

Do you guys know what ersatz means? Well…when your done with the chapter go read the entirety of A Series Of Unfortunate Events until you do….or look it up. Cause I'm not telling you.

Don't own Jack. Or Sephiroth. Or…aw screw it. I don't own the characters or places mentioned below. Now leave me alone…I'm not feeling witty today.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 7

Icy Ersatz

The man leaned nonchalantly against a white pillar. With obviously calculated carelessness he reached upwards and brushed a stray blonde hair from his face. His sneer widened slightly. What is he thinking? The hand that held his shield twisted slightly, causeing light to flash briefly over my eyes and blind me. In spite of the flashing light, I did not blink.

"What….was that?" Why was my voice shaking? Why did I feel so heavy? Did seeing that vision really shake me up so much?

"What was what?" The man rephrased the questioned. Everything about him told me that he wanted to cause me harm. Everything he did was calculated to mess with my head. I remained silent and he let loose a tiny chuckle. "You mean that room you were just in?" He chuckled again and then exploded into raucous laughter. When he finally calmed himself he leered at me and smiled widely. "That was your memory! Couldn't you tell? Didn't you remember Ikusa and Hojo? What about that man? Surely you would remember the man you killed." He paused thoughtfully and then smiled again. "The…first…man, I believe." He smiled widely. "Even though you never did find out his name."

"My memory…" But that wasn't right. My memory of that time was different. Almost all of the actions were the same but…I don't remember that buzzing…that pain and the indecision. "But it was…different…then I remembered it." I paused to reflect on the past. "When we entered that room…he begged and pleaded with me…I never talked…and then…I killed him. I never said a word to him."

"Not a word? He hee…" The man in black spread his arms wide and his eyes glinted crazily in the dim white light. Through his halting laughter he said, "That is your present self trying to change the past." He stopped for a moment to giggle uncontrollably. "But you can't do it! The past can not be changed! Only memories!"

"Then…what did that man mean?"

"What man?"

"The man in the cloak…why did he ask what I would give to change the past?"

"I don't know who you are talking about." A look came over the scientist's eyes and he leaned forward quickly. "Did he have red hair?" He asked urgently.

"No. His head was covered and I couldn't see his face."

"And I can assure you that it wasn't me." A voice sounded from behind me and I turned to find Axel with his back resting against the doorway.

"Axel…" The man let out a low growl directed at the red haired rogue.

"And to think for a moment that you would suspect me of betrayal, Vexen! Oh what a sad day it is."

"Get out of here, Axel. I can handle him." Vexen said with an edge to his voice. Axel's eyes glinted dangerously for a moment before he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Suit yerself, icy," he said with a mocking tone of disinterest. He turned and opened the door behind him, but not before giving me one last look. "I'll see _you_ later." And then, waving one hand over his head in a symbol of his leaving he walked through the doorway. "Check your pocket sometime!"

"Crazy fool," muttered Vexen.

I turned to the irate man and looked at him with what I knew to be dead eyes. "What do you mean by…take care of him?" I asked dryly. Vexen glanced once more at the doorway where Axel had left from and shook his head. Quietly he turned back to me and the leer fell into place on his face once again.

"You're not supposed to be here right now." Vexen looked down at his shield which glinted dangerously in the soft light. "Because of that…a lot of people I know want you dead."

"And you?"

"Me?" Vexen stepped backwards feigning hurt feelings. "Sephiroth…I am not so simple minded as to kill every man who walks into…private property…so to speak." His eyes flashed dangerously. "_I_ am a scientist, and _you_…are an experiment." His words stung deep. They hurt far worse than I would have expected them too. I though I was over that complex by now. "Naturally," he continued. "I am drawn to you. I want to study you, find out exactly how you…a creature so composed of…was it Mako? Yes. How, though nearly half of you was made up of Mako and foreign cells, you can survive in the travel between worlds when those parts of you clearly died."

Died? Mako and the…Jenova cells…died? Is that why I can't hear her voice anymore? Vexen was watching me with interest, calculating every one of my movements. I thought I was guarding my emotions well but he interrupted my thoughts with a question. "You didn't know that…did you?" I looked at him. He reminded me so much of Hojo in his earlier days. The same sneer of superiority, the same look of intelligence and lust for knowledge at _any _cost.

"If what I just saw was only a memory…why was it different from what I remembered?"

"Changing the subject are we?" Vexen smiled derisively but shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm ok with that, I suppose." His face darkened and tilted downwards, averting his gaze from me to the tiles at his feet. "This castle is home to a very special individual. She has…powers…very interesting ones. When she comes to this place…she has the ability to show people their memories and even…alter them slightly. She can gradually replace pieces of your memories to suit her or…in this case…another's will."

"And she is altering my memories?" I asked quietly.

"No," he said with a tone of amusement. "You don't pose a high enough threat for us to take advantage of you like that." He looked at me with icy blue eyes. "_You_ are the one messing with your memories. That room you were just in…and whatever card you used to get in it, take on the shape of very important memory to you. Could be your first kiss…the day you made a very important friend…" he smiled dangerously. "The day you killed someone…perhaps?"

Why did this man want to hurt me so much? In fact…why _did_ his words hurt so much? People used to call me a murderer all the time…people a lot closer to me than this man is. Why did his words hurt so much? Was it because I just watched myself in the act? Is reliving my memories this painful?

"But since those times…your beliefs and ways of thinking have both changed drastically. As a result, although the ends of each memory are going to be the same, your newly found conscience will be screaming so loud at your own actions that it can very well change some of the deeds and actions that you committed before you understood all the things you know now. In time, you could very well revert back to your own self and lose your scruples in your own terrible memories." His deep blue eyes shone with insanity. They looked like glaciers, those eyes. Hojo used to look at me the same way. "In esscence…your own mind will tear itself apart…you'll be left a lifeless shell and act as a killing machine once again." Did any glacier ever contain so much hate? "And we won't have to lift a finger to do it."

His malice was suffocating. It filled the hallway and soaked into the walls. Tendrils of it climbed eagerly into my throat and downwards, freezing my words inside me. It's cold in this place. How had it become so cold in here? A strange icy mist began to flow out from Vexen. His hair was flapping slowly and without sound in an invisible wind. It's so hard to move…even if I want to. Slowly I flexed my fingers…something cracked.

I was covered in ice.

A thin layer of water had frozen over my body. The light blue mist swirled wildly over my body, further encasing it in that thin layer of ice, over and over again. In a hurry I shook my arms. They felt frozen solid but as I strained my muscles, tiny shards fell away to the floor and I freed myself. I tried to take a step forward but couldn't. Glancing downwards, I found my feet to be completely encased in ice and frozen to the white tiles. Vexen began to laugh loudly from across the hall.

"Sh-shut up," I stuttered out from my chattering teeth. Swiftly, I drew Masamune and whipped out downwards, cutting the ice away from my feet in seconds. Shivering slightly, I shook each leg to rid it of ice and lowered myself into a more battle ready stance. Vexen smiled widely and raised his shield in front of his body. His other hand rose from his side and the fingers bent in a challenge.

My feet left the ground in an instant. Despite the thick sheet of ice on the ground, my soles found purchase wherever they landed and I soon found myself within striking range of the audacious scientist. Masamune tore forward in a thrust and clashed loudly against the man's blue steel. The sound exploded, echoing loudly off the ice-lined walls and floor. Moving quickly, I spun to the side and made an arcing swipe at the man's heels.

Vexen's feet jumped nimbly over the swinging blade and landed several feet back. Masamune continued its arc and cut deep into the white stone pillar to my left. Vexen's ice blue eyes flashed dangerously and he leapt forward to strike at me while my blade was stuck. From his blue shield burst three large spikes that he now aimed in my direction. He was surprisingly fast. Flipping the shield over, he began his strike as though it were a punch, sending the head spike flying towards my forehead. Masamune seemed to be stuck firmly in the white stone and…ice was growing around it as well, further trapping it inside the pillar. The spiked point of the shield came ever closer until it nearly brushed the tip of my eyelash.

I burst into motion. Almost like liquid, I tore Masamune from the ice and stone and ducked beneath the oncoming metal to flow around Vexen and press the tip of my blade against his backside. It took the man a moment to notice where I had gone and even longer to decide what to do about it. His shield embedded itself in the stone pillar and cracked the ice that had been forming there. His momentum carried him into the very pillar where his head cracked loudly against it.

Following directly behind him, I pressed Masamune into his back and brought my remaining hand upward to grip the man by the hand and press it roughly against the cold pillar. His skin felt as cold as ice, nearly giving something of a freezer burn. For a long time, we stayed suspended in this position. After that extensive pause, Vexen began to laugh loudly.

"And what do you plan to do, Sephiroth the Experiment? Kill me?" He let loose a loud cackle. "And what would that prove? I'll tell you what it would prove…that I was right!" His voice rose with insanity and bounced loudly around the hallway. "You're already becoming the mindless killing machine you once were! At this rate it will only be a matter of time before you seek someone to give you purpose for the deaths you cause!" The laughing stopped suddenly and I felt the air become chilly around me. "And besides…from your current position…you couldn't kill me if you wanted to."

"We'll see about that you heartless bastard," I growled in rage.

I drew myself back quickly. Vexen stumbled to the side and whipped around, a blue blur of motion, and struck out at me. With untouchable speed, I pushed the approaching weapon out of the way and drove my fist into Vexen's gut.

He shattered.

His body cracked and exploded into shards of bright blue ice. The ice splayed out in all directions, crashing into the wall and ricocheting down the hallway. Vexen's head retained its shape only to change color and become ice as well. When the face fell to the ground it cracked and shattered as well, sliding shards of ice across the slippery white tiles.

"What…is this?"

Footsteps sounded from the end of the hallway. Two black boots made contact with the raised platform in front of the large doorway. A black trench coat fluttered into place as Vexen stepped through the doorway.

"I must say…I am impressed." Vexen brushed a strand of hair from his face and leered down at me. "It's true that my ice doppelganger is half of my original power…but you took care of it like it was nothing. I commend you on doing such a good job."

"Doppelganger?" I glanced downwards at the now melting ice to see what was left of Vexen's faux eyeball.

"Certainly. What kind of idiot would fight the enemy himself when you can send someone else to do it for you?" He sighed and rubbed his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. "To think that even after you were through such emotional turmoil…you could still so easily dispose of my false body. It will take some time to generate another one."

I was tired of listening to this disgusting man. "What do you want?" Vexen feigned a look of surprise and innocence. He blinked several times and then smiled widely.

"I just want to observe you. Well…observe you and perform some experiments on that boy who looks like you. What was his name again?" Vexen brought his hand to his chin and rubbed it thoughtfully. My heart began to pound stronger in my chest as he continued to think.

"Is he here also?" My voice sounded weak and alarmed. Vexen smiled.

"Well I haven't even said a name yet…but yes…I he's here as well. I think…Riku is his name."

Heart racing, I clenched my hand around Masamune's hilt. "What are you going to do to him?" I growled through gritted teeth. Vexen's eyes glinted dangerously as his smile widened even further.

"Do _to_ him? Why…nothing at all. I'm just going to verify the results of another scientist's experiment." He sighed lustfully. "Oh Hojo…you really outdid yourself with your last one…it would be an honor to repeat your experiment."

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Gyahaha! I'm back into the groove! The only price I had to pay was having Naruto influence the writing of this chapter. Doppelgangers? Come on Ben…you can do better than that.

I think I really like this chapter. A good mix of action and plot development as well as a little bit of character development. Well…Vexen's anyway. I hope this chapter made childhood-Sephiroth seem a little less emo and a little more insane, because that was really what I was going for.

Ahem…Big ol' thank yous for Unita and heartsoblivion for reviewing even though I kinda ranted about xsaturnine for like two paragraphs. I love _all _of my reviewers very much and _all _of your opinions matter and I can't stress enough how important every one of you is. I guess I'm just paranoid that I upset someone by putting xsaturnine on a pedestal last chapter. Sorry if anyone is annoyed by that…although I think you should calm down if you are and stop being jealous about silly things. Another thank you for xsaturnine of course. (tries hard not to rant)

Can I put something personal here? Would be yelled at? Meh…so…why is it that all the bands in the world that sing any song solely about nerd culture are inevitably also a Christian rock or Christian ska band? I don't have anything wrong with Christianity but its like…stop trying to convert me…and stay out of my music. I mean…songs called Final Fantasy for the Day are cool but then when you get further down the tracklist and reach stuff like You've Got Jesus In Your Heart…it's disconcerting. I guess it just bothers me cause it feels misleading. And I think that the pope is trying to take over the nerds, geeks and perhaps even otaku's of my generation so he can have a legion of CEO's under his control later.

I'm just kidding. I love you Popey. (heheh…Popey looks an awful lot like Popeye.)


	8. shuDDer and sOunD

Finally…here it is. Took me long enough.

Don't own the people or the places. Leave me alone you bastards!

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Angel Memories: Chapter 8

shuDDer and sOunD

Behind me, the world exploded. The white tiles tore from the ground and detonated into fine white powder. My feet stopped touching the ground. Masamune growled pitifully in protest to my unbearably harsh grip. Distance was nothing, time only existed next to me; it didn't hold any constraints on my movements. I didn't cross the hall in seconds, not in milliseconds; I was on the other side in no time at all. There were no measurements for my speed and strength. Limits broke and fell easily before me, expanding my ability far beyond anything I had felt before.

But I didn't register any of it.

I was in front of Vexen. I was behind Vexen. I was inside Vexen. Everything was the past tense. Everything had just happened. Nothing was happening. Everything was over.

And then…Vexen grew cold again.

Laughter was cut short as the man looked downwards at my fist. It entered into his backside at the bottom half near his spine and exited through the heart cavity. All around my arm, I felt ice. Vexen's skin began to fade away into the pale blue of ice. His movements stopped and the false body began to melt slowly.

"Dammit…" I whispered quietly. My rage slowly faded away as the second fake Vexen began to liquefy slowly around my hand. The cold water began to fall slowly down my arm in tiny rivulets, coursing slowly along the veins of my arm. Tears formed slowly at the corners of my eyes and one silently made its way to the bottom of my chin where it detached and joined with the sluggishly forming puddle at my feet. "Dammit!" Clenching my fist, I tore it out of the dripping doppelganger. Ice shards flew to the side and exploded against the wall to my right.

"You never do cease to amaze…do you?" The now familiar voice resonated through the white hallway. For the third time, Vexen appeared from behind a large white column and stood, looking with interest at the sizeable puddle at my feet. "You move even faster than Larxene…quite the feat. Hojo really outdid himself."

"Hojo?" I'd had enough. "Hojo outdid himself? Hojo made me what I am and is responsible for everything I do? Even in death he holds my strings like some kind of meat puppet?" I clenched my hand, sending small drops of water spurting outwards to fall to the ground. "Are you so naïve to believe that I have no control over my own actions? That I couldn't possibly have trained myself? That everything I fucking do is some kind of predetermined statistic by a bunch of men in white lab coats standing over a computer somewhere?" I began to laugh wryly in spite of my tears.

Vexen remained silent for a time. He stared cautiously at me with a guarded expression. Finally he smiled widely and said, "Fascinating."

"What are you talking about now?"

Vexen spread his arms wide and his blue eyes glinted dangerously. "Hojo created a self-improving and even sentient being."

"SHUT UP!" I stood, shaking with anger at this man's outrageous statements. "Dammit…I was born just like everyone else. I wasn't put together in some test tube. I came out of a beautiful woman who died to bring me into my world."

"Ah yes…Lucre-" Vexen began with an air of confidence.

"Do not speak her name!" Silence settled in the hallway and Vexen looked at me with surprise. "You have no right to talk about her like you know all about her. I don't care how much research you did. I don't give a damn if you know every word that was exchanged in that mansion," I looked him in the eye and sneered widely. "A dog like you has no right to speak of good people."

Vexen raised an eyebrow and smiled with interest. He looked as though he planned to anger me further but thought better of it and said instead, "Alright…we'll have it your way. Do as you wish. As I said, I only want to study you. I have no real interest in a failed experiment such as yourself. I am far more interested in the other boy."

"What are you going to do with Riku?"

Vexen smiled dangerously. "I am going to clone him."

"And what will you do with that…'clone'?"

Vexen's smile widened and he rubbed his hands together earnestly. "You won't like it."

"Tell me."

"Oh you won't like it at all."

"Tell me, you bastard."

Vexen let loose an enormous peal of laughter that bounced off the white tiles and made the puddles of water ripple slightly. His body shook with the continuous laughter and he bent over double before leaning against the wall for support. Tears of laughter formed at the corners of his eyes. With a careless hand he reached up to wipe them away. When he had finally finished, he raised his head and smiled again toward me.

"I'm going to use him," Vexen's voice rang softly through the hallway, expelling all other noise. My breathing slowed to a halt before he finished his sentence. Quietly, almost in a whisper, Vexen said, "As my weapon."

A mist settled over my eyes, veiling my sight in a layer of red. My blood came to a quick boil. Those words struck a place in my heart deeper than anything I had ever experienced. I had never felt this way before, this resentment, this undying hatred. Even my hatred of Hojo had faded away after I had left Shinra while I was a boy. Dropping Masamune, lest I crush the hilt in my grip, it fell to the ground with an unheard clatter.

Vexen's words hovered in the air and were joined by his raucous laughter. His whole body shook and small tears of perverse joy fell from his eyes and down his cheek where they turned quickly into ice. This Vexen was undoubtedly another doppelganger but it didn't matter to me anymore. I wanted to get him out of my sight, even if it didn't kill him.

Again, Masamune tore through Vexen's torso. The force of the blow caused his upper half to fly into the air and then fall to the ground several feet away from the legs of the doppelganger. In a flurry of hacks and slashes I whipped Masamune around and tore the doppelganger to pieces. The hall was silent once again.

By now, only small shards of ice littered the ground and large puddles of water extended from wall to wall, covering half the ground. The puddles caught the light and caused a violent glare to jump upwards into my eyes. With a deep sigh I sheathed Masamune and walked slowly to the large platform with the door. The hall was dead silent, only the soft rippling waters could be heard lapping against cold white stone.

And then a solitary note rang through the hall.

A deep bass echo resonated through the hallway. I heard water shift and part, flowing in odd fashions behind my back. The note held for several seconds and then died away. After a moments pause, another note sounded, nearly an octave above the previous and was joined by two more of slightly higher pitch. They held for a time and then the first note began to sound deeper in contrast to the others. A movement registered over my right shoulder.

Diving to the side, I barely dodged a lancing stream of water as it flashed in the air where my head had been moments ago. The spout of water withdrew but remained suspended in the air. I watched it for a moment as it swayed back and forth like a snake. As each new note echoed through the damp hallway, it changed direction, darting back and forth. Finally a deep note sounded from across the hall and the shoot of water burst forward, lancing toward my head. In a flash I ducked under the approaching water and flicked Masamune outwards, severing the base of the waterspout. For a moment, the water paused and seemed to consider disintegrating but instead it flipped upwards with a high-pitched note and stood erect in the middle of the hall. For a long moment, I watched the spout carefully and then when a particularly deep note resonated from the opposite doorway, it splashed back to the floor to join the puddle that awaited it.

"Axel was right…you _are _fun!"

The voice sounded from the doorway I had entered from. My eyes flicked towards it to find a new man standing carelessly by the doorframe. His blonde hair was pulled upwards in an oddly vertical fashion. He was wearing the same traditional black leather that Vexen and Axel wore and he leaned haphazardly against a large instrument. It was colored blue and white and had three large strings that ran down the length of it. The top was adorned with three large spikes and the bottom was rounded out in an odd heart shape. On his face, a wide childish grin fell into place and his eyes squinted cheerfully.

"You're another one of Axel's companions?" I asked him carefully. I kept an eye on his instrument; that sitar had something to do with the water that had come after me just then.

"Yea," the blonde haired man sniffed contemptuously and rubbed a gloved hand against his hip. "Me an' him work together," the man scowled slightly and added, "One position above me too…so I'm sort of the First Lieutenant to his Captain, so to speak. Just one rank below. " He paused for a moment to stick a finger in his ear and wiggle it around. "The name's Demyx." He glanced down at his plunders and then wiped it on his chest. With a look of feigned disinterest he pulled a finger across the strings of his sitar.

The puddles on the floor rippled and then burst upwards. The water splashed against my clothes and the walls, some of it even reaching the ceiling. For several seconds, there was a light rain and Demyx let loose a wide friendly grin. His foot lashed out and kicked the bottom of his sitar, causing it to flip upwards into the air. The instrument spun twice over itself and then his gloved hand lashed outwards and took hold of one of the top three spikes. The sitar flashed around his body in a wide arc and halted against an outset thigh. With a crazy smile, Demyx raised his right arm high into the air and brought it down violently against the strings of his instrument.

Explosively loud sound boomed through the hallway and flashed past me, causing my hair to whip uncontrollably backwards. The light rain that had been falling exploded. For a moment, nothing could be seen through the white foaming water. Waves washed over me, pushing me back and causing me to falter to regain my footing. Just as soon as it had begun, the rush of water and sound halted. Now, only the ordinary amount of water could be seen swirling in the center of the tiles. Demyx stared at me with expectant eyes and strummed furiously at the bottom two strings of the sitar. The high notes rang out in complicated rhythms and echoes. Slowly, the water began to separate and form into definite shapes. With each new layer of sound, the now human shapes of water formed and grew larger. With one last note, the three liquid people stepped forward off of the puddle in my direction.

"Name's Demyx," he repeated proudly. Artist, musician, warrior and master of water!" He smiled widely. "Are you impressed?"

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AAGHH! I need to update more…I need to write more…I'm really sorry. God…I can't get into this like I used to be!

Ok…so…Demyx. For those of you who don't follow Kingdom Hearts 2 news…however many of you there are…spoiler? Demyx will be a member of the organization that shows up in KH2. He's number 9, behind Axel's who's number 8. He controls water using an instrument very much like a guitar but is actually called a sitar.end spoiler? In any case…I'm very afraid of using him because…well…I think I'm afraid of poetic license. I like staying in character as much as I can and how can I do that if I have never seen this guy in action…I don't like it. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity what with Vexen's set up with wetting the hallway like that. Not to mention the fact that Naruto has really messed with my brain and the ensuing battle will be either very good or very much a combination of like three quarter Naruto one quarter Avatar: The Last Airbender which is actually a mad good show. Watch it some time if you haven't. Water bending is cool.

I have a question…do you guys think that the lengths of my chapters are good or should I split them up and make them shorter. I don't leave making them longer as an option because that would be torture for me. I usually try and make the story, without authors notes, hit at least the three and a half page mark or so but do you think that's too much or what? Gimme your opinions because I could probably start dishing out chapters faster if I could shorten them but as for right now I kinda have a self set standard that I can't break unless you tell me that I can.

Now that I have that off of my chest…I want to apologize for my comments on Christian music last time. I don't really mind it at all. I had just been in a lousy mood and listening it brought out my angry atheist qualities and I felt like someone was trying to subliminally convert me. Which was not what was happening. I actually love that kind of music even if I don't embrace the meaning behind it. So…sorry I was insensitive and a dick…maybe.

Speaking of which…or the entire opposite of actually…Huge huge huge thank you for Unita who served in helping me get my act together and write this chapter. Any of you who remember my rant about Xsaturnine…pretty much the same thing for Unita because I was in a slump and she reviewed when I needed it…even if I didn't update right away. Thank you very much!

As for everyone else. Double the thank you for xsaturnine who reviewed(?) twice…kinda. And a big thank you for heartsoblivion for being a very faithful reviewer. (don't worry, I'll try and rant about you soon too.)

Til next time…please send reviews…because if you don't…I probably will take like…a really long time to write the next chapter.

P.s: (This post script is meant for people who have played final fantasy X-2. You can read it if you haven't but you won't be much help.) I've been replaying Final Fantasy X-2 recently and have come up with an idea for a fanfiction that I think is entirely original although I'm not sure. I'll research that later. But I wanna run the idea past you guys and see if any of you think I should follow up on it.

Ok…so some of you more hardcore players may have gotten the accessories down in Bevelle Wring and Bloodlust. Or maybe you used the strategy guide like me. But either way you notice that their abilities are Majo's soul, which makes your character a spellcasting monster, and Kijo's sould, which transforms you into a berserk fighting beast, respectively. Kijo and Majo. Interesting…to me anyway.

So I was thinking. Who are Kijo and Majo? What's their story? Why are their souls connected to these accessories? Why not write a fic about it? So I think it would set in back in the Machina war sometime around when Shuyin and Lenne die. Whaddya think? Gimme your opinions if you care. Or even if you don't.


	9. Papercut Symphony

Ok…so here's the new chapter…so soon after the last! Crazy isn't it? Well…on the other hand…this one's a bit shorter…and it's all fighting. But what are you gonna do about it?

Nomura owns the character…I think. Maybe? Hell I don't know who owns them. I do, however, know who doesn't own them. Me. And most likely…you.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 9

Papercut Symphony

A continuous symphony played wildly, echoing loudly through the hallway. The high pitched notes sounded sweet in my ear. Between the musician and myself, three human shapes flowed eerily toward me. Water rose off the tiles into three pairs of legs and with each passing note, moved forward ever so slightly. Demyx smiled, seemingly overjoyed at the current circumstance. The fluid beings stepped forward, shaking slightly and dripping water to the floor.

"Well? I said, are you impressed?" Demyx repeated with a giddy voice. He giggled lightly and the rhythm to his playing broke slightly, causing the left most watery individual to falter slightly. Demyx frowned slightly and glanced down at his sitar. He quickly righted his playing and the liquid man, instead of catching himself, simply flowed into the correct position.

I lowered myself into a more combat ready stance. My right hand crossed my body and came to rest against Masamune's hilt which immediately hummed reassuringly. The water people flowed made their way slowly forward, taking long gushing steps. I smiled slightly at the expression on my opponent's face. Such child-like enthusiasm.

"Not yet," I said with a smirk.

Demyx grinned widely, showing bright white teeth. His eyes closed up with his smiling face and he laughed lightly. "Ok." For a second he stopped playing altogether. The room went silent and all the water-beings began to disintegrate. And then with a look of intense concentration, Demyx began to play again.

Music exploded from the sitar, filling the room and making ripples in the water. All three of the water creatures leapt forward, moving quickly now with the furious tempo. Demyx's fingers flew across the strings, creating complex tunes and sounds that issued across the hallway and reached my ears. The foremost being of water moved faster and faster and closed the gap quickly. Its feet fell over themselves and churned wildly against the wet ground. With a particularly high note, its arm drew backwards and then with a complimentary deep reverberation, it let fly towards my face. The liquid fingers stretched impossibly long and were inches from reaching me.

Demyx smiled widely and suddenly the music changed. One score went missing from the chorus and the approaching individual disintegrated in front of me. Its momentum carried the water forward to splash harmlessly against my chest. The two remaining water men were both reaching the halfway point of the hallway. Confused but confident, I drew Masamune and took a running step forward. In my hand, Masamune shivered with a warning. Demyx's fingers flowed higher along the strings and a new note sounded out.

A force struck me from behind, sending me flailing forward. Taking control of myself I spun in midair and lashed out viciously toward my six. A small jet of water exploded and the geyser fell to the floor. Quickly, I rolled to my feet to find one of the water people with a fist flying toward my face. Without hesitation, I whipped Masamune upwards and severed the oncoming fist. For a moment it faltered and the solidified, flowing around my upraised arm and striking me across the face. The blow spun me around in a full turn before I hit the ground. In a flurry of movement, I regained my feet and held out my left hand. My palm came forward and I summoned some of my power into it.

"Bolt 3!"

For a moment, Demyx halted. The music echoed throught he hallway and then disappeared into silence. The power welling up in my hand pushed outwards but couldn't find an opening of any kind. The spouts of water as well as the remaining liquid person fell to the floor. My left hand turned red and sore and may have gotten worse had I not retracted the energy from it. When the power left my hand and retreated back into my chest, my left arm fell limply to my side. It brushed against my leather-clad legs and let out a hissing noise. I glanced downwards and saw that the entire limb was an unhealthy shade of dark red and steam rose from it. The smell of burning leather rose from my sleeve and when I tried to move my fingers, nothing happened.

"My good man…are you _steaming_?" Demyx stared in disbelief at my red hot arm. The burning sensation was slowly subsiding but it would last at least another fifteen minutes at this rate. "And what did you yell before?" He paused and placed a hand against his chin in thought. "Volt three? Some kinda incantation right?" He smiled in recognition and pointed at me excitedly. "Oh yea! Vexen mentioned something about spells like that. Bolt and Ice and whatnot." He furrowed his brow in thought. "Also said you had Fire and Cure and some other things…but you put numbers after them instead of the right suffix…or something sciency like that." He smiled knowingly and crossed his arms, nodding at his own intelligence. "Yep! Those won't work off of your own planet. You gotta say the right spells if you wanna cast magic here."

I grimaced slightly as my arm throbbed harshly. "The right spells…" I muttered quietly. "Suffixes…not numbers." The pulsing pain in my arm slowly receded to something of a dull beat. Experimentally, I tried to move my fingers. "Ugh!" The sound spilled from my lips as pain seared upward through the now violently throbbing muscles. The white hot fire arced upwards through the limb and proceeded directly to the condensed ball of power in my chest. It bore into my very core and caused me to fall to my knees. My whole body felt as though it were on fire.

"Geez…that looks like it hurts…" Demyx leaned over and eyed me with genuine interest. "You alright, dude?" He paused and placed a hand on his chin in thought. "You're turning funny colors….like your face…not just your hand."

I struggled through the fiery agony and reached out with both my remaining hand and my energy to help staunch the pain. With my right hand, I gripped myself tightly by the wrist and squeezed tightly, trying to cut off the circulation. Using some of my remaining energy, I pushed the raging tide of stinging fire backwards and blocked off the passageways as best as I could. I felt my left hand grow warmer under my grip and begin to blister slightly.

Next to me, Masamune had fallen to the floor. I heard it shudder comfortingly. I looked at it for a moment and received its message. I can help, it said. With little hesitation, I let go of my felt hand and reached out to grab Masamune. I grabbed it by the dull edge and brought it up to the palm of my hand. Barely had I made a small cut in the skin when I received results.

Blood exploded from the tiny cut, making it grow in size to fit the amount of liquid spewing forth from it. An impossible amount of red fluid discharged from the wound. Along with it, my own raw power exploded forth as well. The shot of it all had a kick and sent me sprawling onto my back. Blood and energy poured forth, coating walls as well as destroying them. Masamue fell to the ground once again and quivered with a sense of accomplishment.

Demyx yelped as my flailing hand pointed briefly toward him. The power emitting from my palm seared a long dark line across the stone walls, even though the door remained mysteriously unharmed. A thought occurred to me while I poured the energy and pain out of my body. After this, I would be hard pressed to fight such a capable opponent. I was already struggling with Demyx's strategies…and with this new loss of blood and energy, I wouldn't stand a chance.

Using the remaining strength in my legs, I launched myself to my feet and grabbed Masamune at the same time. I took off immediately at a staggering run toward the platform. Demyx was covering the only other exit so I was left with only this option.

"'Ey! Where do you think you're goin'?" Demyx shouted in my direction. I heard one note pierce the air before I cut it off. Haphazardly, I swung my lifeless arm in Demyx's direction, sending another stream of raw power arcing towards him. He yelped again and dove to the side as the wild beam of energy flew over his head. When I reached the doorway, I pushed against the white wood.

The door didn't budge at all. There was no movement whatsoever. Against my side, my left had still writhed with the explosiveness of my energy pouring from it. How do I get in here? The first door…how did I get through there? Cards? But the last one disappeared when I passed through.

"Check your pocket sometime!"

Axel's last words echoed through my head like an orchestra. Dropping Masamune unceremoniously, my hand rose up and dove into my pocket, searching viciously for something. At last my fingers finally found something. Without hesitation, I tore it from the depths of my pocket and held it high above my head.

"Aw man! C'mon! Stay here a bit, man!" Demyx's voice barely reached my ears in time before the door opened wide and the familiar sparkling light emanated from within. As the door finally opened to its fullest, I felt my left are go slack, spitting out one last bit of energy. Kneeling down, I grabbed Masamune and limped silently through the open door. I heard a soft ringing from far away behind me and something cold tickle against the back of my neck. I turned around to look through back through the door.

The entire hallway was filled to the brim with water. The doorway was blocked off with swirling waves and tiny drops fought their way past the frame to stick gently against my skin before evaporating in the blinding light. Through the refracted light of rushing water, Demyx was violently bringing his hand up and down against his Sitar in anger.

I turned away from that and walked further into white nothingness. For several seconds I walked and then everything faded to black.

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Whew…some serious chapter writeage there. I dunno…I wanted to try and update faster than I have been recently but I feel like the quality may have suffered a bit. What do you think? I think the fighting is pretty good but lemme tell you…it is freaking hard to find transitions between Demyx rocking out and Sephiroth dealing with dangerous water issues. Also…and I don't know if this was last chapter or this one…I don't feel like re-reading it…but it is really hard to find new ways to say Water-people for all the times I had to mention them. I mean…how many ways can you even say it? Whatever. In any case…

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and I'm sorry but I'm tired and reeeaally can't thank people individually…I just wanna update and be done with this for tonight.

Yea…so…just gimme your opinion on whether or not the quality suffered in this chapter because I can't….or refuse to find out myself.


	10. Green Rain Memories

I couldn't think of a good way to end the chapter in just four pages so I decided to split it up into two parts…this isn't the end of this segment. Just so that you know.

Don't own Sephiroth or any of the places or organizations mentioned. I do own Nall though.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 10, part the first

Green Rain Memories

"There aren't many people out tonight, eh Sephiroth?" The young man, perhaps sixteen, shouldered his standard issue sword and peered out across the filthy streets. With a casual flick of the wrist, he lowered his goggles over his eyes and pressed the small button on the side of the visor. "People don't like the rain here." His nose crinkled up slightly and he added, "Not that I'd wanna be walking around in this stuff if I had a choice." He sighed softly. "I guess that's a drawback to living on the top plate, you get this kind of raid, eh Sephiroth?" He turned his face toward me, smiling jovially. "Did I get it right?" he asked. "Sephiroth. Or is it _Sephirot_? I'm not too good with names."

Sighing with annoyance I said, "Sephiro_th_."

"Sephiro_th_. Got it. Thanks a bunch." After a moments hesitation he said slyly, "You remember my name?"

Silently I shook my head and then walked purposefully into the downpour. The heavy rain plastered what hair escaped my helmet to my body and soaked slowly into my military uniform. My foot set down in a large green tinted puddle. The protest of my nameless companion fell on deaf ears. We were in the middle of an exam. Now was not the time to be bonding.

"It's Nall! My name is Nall!" With a quick wave of my hand I silenced him. Nall's face contorted into a look of indignant anger coupled with an annoyed sigh. Despite his silent protests, Nall lowered his blade from his shoulder, adopting the infiltration stance we had been taught at headquarters. Using my other hand, I made a small motion with it and gave the silent signal to move out.

The two of us split apart and took different sides of the street. WE stuck to the shadows, watching carefully for any signs of motion. I kept a close eye on Nall, discerning his blind spots and covering those as well. I knew that he would be doing the same thing. People didn't take this test if they were incompetent. As we neared the end of the street, we both took cover in opposite doorways, hiding ourselves carefully from sight.

There was a quiet buzz inside my helmet, slowly growing into radio white noise. The static growled loudly and then A voice broke through. Nall spoke quietly into my earpiece. "Establishing radio link. Connection established?"

I glanced swiftly around my position and what I assumed were Nall's blind spots. I could find no signs of danger so I whispered softly into my microphone, "Affirmative."

"Past this corner, how's your vision from your position?"

After taking a moment to scan the area I returned my wary gaze to my most open points and responded coolly, "82 to 85 degrees of visibility from a secure area. What's your status?"

"74 degrees visibility from secured position." He paused for a moment and then added, "Can reach a probable 87 degrees if I move out a bit although there is a minimal risk of being discovered, should I proceed?"

"Do not proceed." I spoke harshly into the microphone. "I repeat, that is a negative on any further movement. This is a stealth reconnaissance mission and any assumed risk is a deadly one."

"Understood," Nall was breathing hard and fast into his helmet. "What do you advise?"

I remained silent for several seconds as I pondered the position we were in. After calculating for a moment, I said quietly, "Switch your visor to thermal mode."

"The rain is too much to allow us to see past these corners, that won't help us to decrease the risk."

I cut him off before he could continue. "The door behind you, check it out, is there any movement or hostile activity inside?" there was a pause as Nall's helmet rustled slightly as he turned. After a moment he whispered that there was no movement from inside. "Good, break in and make your way to a top floor window. Be careful and report findings via radio once you have a secure position."

Nall let out a small gasp. "Breaking and entering? That's illegal! We can't do that!"

"It is the best discernable course of action," I said coldly. "We must take this opportunity. I will remain on ground level to offer assistance in case of combat as well as continue operations with your advice."

"But…breaking in?"

"Why do you think you were equipped with lock picking tools?" Nall fell silent at that comment and quietly mumbled in agreement.

"Watch my position; I'll need to focus on this so no alarms go off."

"Understood."

Switching my visor to thermal mode, I could just make out Nall's crouched form on the opposite side of the street. The rain made his whole figure blurry and I couldn't tell when he had laid out his tools. Quietly I scanned the area, searching for stray thermal readings but finding nothing. After several minutes, Nall's voice once again crackled into my ear.

"Ok…proceeding inside."

"I'll stay here until I get word."

"Affirmative, make no contact while I'm inside, I will speak to you first."

"Understood." Then the line went dead. For several minutes, there was no sound but that of the rain. Drops of green tinted water fell into puddles and streams that coursed down the paved street in streams and rivulets. The water was green because of the reactors and the smoke they put out. The smoke had long since formed an enormous cloud over Midgar that would never leave. When it rained, it rained water mixed with lifestream runoff. Detrimental to those unexposed to mako. Fortunately, soldiers like Nall and me each had small doses that helped us deal with the otherwise fatal condition of being caught in the rain.

The crackling of electricity buzzed once again in my ear. Nall's breathing became apparent before his words did; hard and fast, clearly upset at his current position. "Establishing radio connection."

"Affirmative, are you in a secure location?"

"As secure as I can feel in someone else's home." His words were laced delicately with both a pleading as well as an angry tone.

"Very well, what can you gather from your position?"

There was a long pause before Nall spoke again. I heard him turn from side to side, looking carefully out of whatever window he could have found in time. "This was a good idea," I heard him mutter silently. "We've got two hostile bodies positioned directly around each corner. Looks like a stake out…"

"They knew we were coming?"

"It seems that way."

I thought to myself for a moment, trying to think of an available course of action. "We should contact headquarters and relay the situation to them. We need word from them on whether we should move out anyway."

"Agreed. Should I get out of the house or stay here?"

"Stay there, I might need you on sniper status." Nall gave his affirmative and I twisted the small knob on the side of my visor, effectively changing my radio frequency to that of the Shinra Headquarters. "Sephiroth to Shinra, Sephiroth to Shinra. Do you read? I repeat, do you read?"

A gruff and tired sounding voice came into my helmet. "Yes, Sephiroth, we read, what is the problem?" Quickly I relayed the situation to the man in headquarters. He listened silently and took several seconds in silence before he spoke again. "Proceed with the mission. Change tactics from infiltration to assault, the one you were supposed to gather information on, we need him dead and this is the best opportunity we have had in a long time. Do you understand? This is not optional. Kill him. No matter what the cost. If you fail, do not come back alive."

Without hesitation, I nodded in agreement but when I tried to speak, no words came forth. I felt something rise in my throat, blocking off my vocal cords. Something inside my head felt…itchy. Fighting through the strange constriction, I confirmed the man's orders and the line was cut off. Something wet rolled down my cheek, coursing downwards and pooling on the inside of visor.

Tears? Was I crying? How odd…it must have had something to do with the being in the rain for so long. I didn't feel sad. Or rather…I did…but it didn't feel like me. The itch on the back of my head grew larger, spreading quickly. Quietly, I indulged it and scratched roughly against the cloth covering the rear of my skull. Once again, I hunkered down and flipped the frequency of my headset towards Nall.

"Nall, the situation has changed," I began. He made a slightly startled noise but listened intently. "The mission has changed from infiltration to assassination. We are to kill the man we otherwise were to gather information on. This is not optional; we are not to come back to headquarters until we have done so."

There was a long pause on Nall's side before he mumbled something unintelligible. After a moment, he spoke more clearly. "Geez…that's pretty…heavy. Alright…so…what's the plan?"

I was about to respond when another voice broke into our communication. "Come in team White Ash. This is Shinra headquarters. Do you read?" I responded with the customary question to check security and the man on the line responded correctly. "There is a small change in plan, I will direct you on your next tactic, if you do not follow this orderm you will both fail the test and never be able to take it again. Do you understand?" Both Nall and I responded with an affirmation and then listened intently to the order. "Nall will give light sniper assistance from his position while Sephiroth takes the melee combat in a frontal attack. This is the plan, we are watching so do not attempt to break this. Once Sephiroth has moved out of your range, Nall, meet up with him on the ground once you have killed all nearby agressors that you can see from your position. Try and do this silently for as long as you can. That is all."

Silence fell on the line and after a moment I spoke again. "Alright…let's go."

Slowly, I eased my way toward the corner. Taking a deep breath, I lowered the Shinra blade I had been issued for the test. Then, in a flurry of movement, I spun around the corner, spotted the guard and thrust the point of the blade through his throat. He gurgled for a moment and then grew still. I pulled the sword from his corpse and he fell in a heap at my feet.

Something exploded in my head. A searing pain coursed through and around my skull, making me dizzy and faint. Through the pain I thought I could hear someone with a voice like my own screaming "Stop it!" but I dismissed the idea quickly. Scanning the area, I spotted the other guard, dead and bleeding from a large gun shot wound in his forehead. Taking only another second I found another soldier and dashed toward him. He was fumbling with his radio, trying to contact the base when I pulled up beside him.

In a panic, he lifted the barrel of his gun and tried desperately to pull a bead on me. A flash of metal cut through the rain and hacked the gun barrel off. It flew away and clattered to the ground several feet to our left. Spinning quickly, I snaked the blade in between his ribs, cutting into a swiftly beating heart which grew still instantly. A gun shot sounded as I pulled the red coated blade from my victim's chest. Turning, I glimpsed the shape of a bullet, tearing through the falling drops of rain and making its way toward my head. I heard the body hit the floor behind me as my recent casualty fell limply to the ground.

Fiery pain lanced through my brain, causing me to clutch it in anguish fall painfully to my knees. The bullet soared over my head and smashed into the stone wall. Through the red haze of pain that had washed over my eyes, I saw the aggressor go down, spurting blood from a large bullet hole in his skull. Inside me, I could hear someone shouting with all their will, "Don't kill anymore! You don't have to do this! I won't let you!" With one last breath, my arms seized up and I fell forward, face first into a dark green puddle on the granite floor.

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Hey everybody. Look...I'm really sorry it took so long…and even now you don't even get a full chapter. I'm really sorry. Shall I explain? Ok. So, I wrote the first chapter of that FFX-2 story that I had mentioned. That took a while and I _had _to do it because if I didn't, it would have consumed my mind. You should take a look at it, it's pretty good. http/ me and my girlfriend of like a year and a half just broke up and I might as well play the stressed out card even though it's a fairly peaceful breakup.

Ok…so I will try as hard as I can to get the next part of this chapter out soon although I wont promise anything because I'm like…lazy. Sorry.

Thank you so much for reviewing you guys! Erm…that means for…xsaturnine, Unita and heartsoblivion. Super sorry for keeping you waiting. Think of this as a holiday present.


	11. Orders and Decisions

Here's the second part of chapter ten…I suppose they could both be one chapter each but…it feels weird that way to me. Tell me what you think on that. I dunno…I might just make them each their own chapter for parallelism's sake.

I don't own Midgar or Sephiroth or Hojo or Odin. I do own Borzen and Nall I suppose. Although I wouldn't sue anyone for using them.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 11

Orders and Decisions

"Sephiroth! Sephiroth!" A hand roughly shook me into consciousness. On instinct, my hand flew to the hilt of my sword and brought it up to the man above me. The blade pressed into his throat and using my free hand I pushed him to the ground. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust in the green light that reflected from the ground. The tip of my sword pricked a tiny hole in the man's throat, which quivered in terror.

"Oh…" I retracted the blade and stood up, brushing gravel from my uniform. "I'm sorry." Nall lay panting on the ground, a small trickle of blood falling from his throat and mixing in with the rain. I reached out a hand to help him up which he graciously took. After he had been helped to his feet, we stood in silence for a moment.

"That was…impressive," Nall began meekly. "You're really fast with that sword of yours."

"How long was I unconscious?"

The question seemed to relieve Nall. His shoulder's sagged slightly from the release of tension and he responded with confidence. "Just a couple of seconds. I was worried you'd been shot. You just sorta…collapsed. I checked the area to see if it was safe and came to wake you up. It's only been like a minute."

"A minute…" His answer surprised me. It felt as though I had been out for centuries. "Did headquarters notice?"

"If they did, they didn't say anything. I assume we are to continue the mission as is. Are you sure you're up for it?" I opened my mouth preparing to answer "yes" when the intense pain returned to my head. Faltering, I stumbled backwards and clutched at my skull. Something extremely powerful was screaming for me to abort the mission. "Sephiroth…you don't look like you're up for this." Nall's concern was apparent but I brushed it off and stood tall against the tide of emotion washing against my thoughts.

"Let's get going, it's only a headache." I pushed pass Nall, readying my blade for combat and pressing my fingers against my throbbing forehead, trying to push back the pain. We made our way through the wet streets, eventually coming to a large stone wall. Behind it, an enormous office building loomed overhead. It seemed to be abandoned, certainly broken down enough, but there was a light on somewhere on the third floor.

"Shit," Nall murmured quietly. "How are we gonna get around the wall? We don't know what's waiting behind it."

"Three guards on ground level, one placed in the second story window over there and another on three on the opposite side of the building." The information trickled into my brain and out of my mouth. "Two on the ground have swords and one has a rifle the second story guard has a pistol and a blade." Nall looked at me with an odd expression and then smiled.

"You're just making that up. I can't see anyone. Dude…now is not the time to be making up stuff like this."

I tried to wrap my head around what I had just said but could find no answer to why. Shaking my head, I accepted the strange information that I had just relayed. There was something in it that told me it was inevitably true. "I don't quite understand it…but it is the truth. Stay behind if you want, but the mission isn't going to get accomplished by itself."

Nall laughed quietly and then looked at me again. "Sephirott, it's funny but we should really try and be serious…Sephiroth?" I walked away from the babbling man and toward the large iron gate. "Sehpiroth!" Nall hissed quietly. "Sephiroth! Shit…he's gone insane…" When I was a few feet from the gate, I paused and gripped the hilt of my sword tightly. Gathering my wits, I vaulted into the air and flew over the spiked tips of the iron bars.

Before I landed, I heard shouts. Curses and yelps of fear chorused around me. With my eyes closed, I spun to my left and thrust out the blade in my hand. It connected with flesh and then tore through it. I heard someone let out a scream of pain and fall heavily to the ground. Hardly pausing, I dashed forward with my eyes still closed, assured that the target would be there by some unknown force. My blade lowered and then thrust upwards, catching my opponents steel on my own. Lazily, I flicked my wrist in a complicated gesture and lashed out with my foot. The man let out a yelp and his feet left the ground. I didn't need to think about my positioning or even what to do next, I simply knew. It felt almost as though I had done this before, a long time ago. Whirling around, I let the blade pierce through the chest of the falling man, tearing a small hole in his lungs.

As I pulled my sword away and prepared to make my way to the third guard, something inside me pulsed. My stomach contracted and contorted and felt something rise in my throat. Reaching upwards, I removed the cloth that covered my mouth just in time for the contents of my stomach to fall forward unhindered. I retched loudly as my own vomit splashed to the ground, but I did not stop running. A gun shot echoed loudly from the gate and I turned to see Nall, standing with his gun in hand, aiming at two approaching guards. His first shot missed and his second caught one of the men in the throat, causing him to fall forward onto the wet ground, tearing at his throat as it spewed crimson.

Nall raised his pistol and aimed carefully at the approaching man. He pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. The man, now in a mad dash, dove forward and crashed violently into Nall, driving him to the ground. They grappled momentarily before the guard got behind Nall and put his pistol to his head. He hauled Nall to his feet and looked expectantly at me. From behind me, I heard a door open up and several steps taken onto the wet ground. Rain fell sharply onto an umbrella and a new man, accompanied with two large guards stood with a smug expression on his face.

"So Shinra finally took some interest in my activities," the fat man said, his voiced carefully concocted to sound nonchalant. "Of course, I knew that already." He spread his arms out wide and gestured grandly. "I mean, I suppose you could gather that by looking at the security around here right?"

I remained silent, my eyes flicking back and forth from Nall to the fat man. The man with the umbrella looked familiar. "Borzen," I muttered quietly as recognition settled in. He was the target of the mission. He had gained a lot of weight since the file photo of him had been taken, that must have been why it was difficult to place.

"You hesitate." Borzen's voice rang out across the rainy field. "Is Shinra really so foolish as to send rookies to finish me off?" He scoffed loudly. "The choice is clear, isn't it boy? I am the target. Take me out. Surely you're not afraid of these two bodyguards here are you?" He paused for several seconds and then smiled. "Or is it your partner that you're worried about?" He snorted softly and then burst out into raucous laughter. "Oh dear! This is quite an event! A Shinra soldier, afraid for his comrades! To sacrifice a mission for such a silly reason. Really…quite unprofessional, boy." His leering face grinned through the rain, staring me down and daring me to speak.

I gripped the sword in my hand tighter. What should I do? There had never been any training for situations like this. Shouldn't I just take out the target? That's the reasonable course of action here isn't it? But Nall…what would headquarters say if I lost my partner due to this stupid mistake. Is there any way to save him and take the target? Of course not. If I try for too much I'll only come away with nothing. Think dammit. What should I do? I should abort the mission. Return to base and regroup. Radio for help once we're out of danger. But Borzen might be gone by then. Shit! Why won't anyone tell me what to do!

There was a quiet hum inside my helmet and then a crackling of electricity. I turned quickly to Borzen to see if he could hear it but the rain drowned the noise out before it could reach him. He smiled derisively at me and shrugged his shoulders. The bastard was enjoying this. The crackling grew into static and then dispersed with a small pop and returned to a low hum.

"Sephiroth?" a high pitched nasally voice echoed inside my helmet. "Sephiroth, this is Hojo." As always his voice was irritating and it ground against my nerves. "Sephiroth, I know you can hear me, nod your head." Silently, I nodded my head covertly so Borzen and the guards wouldn't notice. "Good." Hojo paused for a few seconds and then said quietly, "Why isn't Borzen dead yet?" He listened to my silence for a moment and then spoke again. "Ah yes, not the situation to be speaking is it? Well I didn't expect an answer anyway." He chuckled slightly. "Sephiroth…do you know what is most important in life? That's a rhetorical question of course, but it's time you knew.

"Sephiroth, you were born with something everyone wishes to have. You have power. You are strong and fast and smart. You can defeat anyone or anything in any arena. That is your gift. What does this have to do with the most important thing in life? Sephiroth…the most important thing is simply to survive." Another buzz began to grew inside the helmet, this one coming from deep within my skull. "Sephiroth, if you kill Borzen, you will survive and you will grow in prestige and power and it will become easier and easier to survive. This is the key to life my boy."

The buzz in my head grew into a loud scream of anguish. "No it's not," it said quietly. "You were always wrong about that Hojo. Surviving is not the most important thing."

"Other people do not matter. Nall does not matter. He will die because he was weak. He got himself caught through no fault of your own. So why worry about him at all?"

"Because other lives do matter, other people do matter. Protecting people is the right thing to do."

"Protecting people is foolish and will only get you killed. Protect yourself Sephiroth. Protect yourself, and _survive_."

The voice in my head exploded into shouts and curses, beating against the walls of my mind and tearing tears from my eyes. A wave of rage sadness so intense washed over me and caused my insides to churn. Leaning over, I felt the contents of my stomach once again fall to the ground.

"Sephiroth! Are you alright?" Hojo's voice resonated inside the helmet as he furiously whispered into the radio. "Finish the mission quickly. Do it now!"

"The decision a bit too much for ya laddy?" Borzen's deep voice spoke from near the doorway. Feeling weak I fell to my knees, vomit dribbling out of the corner of my mouth. What made me do that? Was it the voice inside my head? Dammit, why should I listen to something that makes me feel like this. My arms quaked as they pressed against the muddy ground. "Well if it's all that hard, how about we make it for you!" His two guards stepped forward and raised their guns. Gunfire erupted from the doorway and the bullets flew toward me.

My hand flew to my pocket where I lifted a handful of colored orbs from inside. Praying that the one I was searching for was inside the pile, I shouted, "Wall!" A rainbow myriad of color exploded in front of me and then solidified just as the bullets crashed headlong into the shield I had summoned. As the guards cursed loudly, I shakily rose to my feet and glanced downwards at the materia in my hand.

"Fuck! He's got materia!" Borzen shouted. "Take cover now! We don't know what he might have!" the three of them rushed back to the building and took cover inside. Behind me I heard the man who held Nall curse loudly and begin to run away, dragging Nall with him.

"Don't think I'll let you get away," I said coldly. Choosing a small green materia and placing it my hand, I faced it toward the retreating pair. Nall's eyes, seeing as he was facing backwards, widened in fear and he let out a scream. Inside my head, someone screeched loudly for me to stop. I wouldn't listen to anyone though, this felt so right. This is what I lived for. The materia in my hand grew warm as I poured my MP into it and then quietly, I muttered the spell.

"Bolt 3."

Lighting lanced out from my hand, arcing violently toward Nall and the retreating man. Rain drops evaporated as lightning seared through them and caused small explosions as the small amounts of lifestream in each one reacted with the high energy. The entire street lit up as bright as day as the bolt chased after the men. Finally, it reached the pair. For a moment, nothing happened and then, the lightning lit up the two individuals. Of course, they had both been standing around in the green rain for some time now and were each soaked to the skin. The explosion ripped through the quiet streets. Both of the men were torn apart, adding specks of red to the green rain that fell from the sky. They died instantly.

"NO!" the voice in my head throbbed loudly and caused me to stagger to regain my balance.

"Shut up," I said. "This is right. This is what I should be doing." Then, with a great effort, I shut the voice out of my head, reducing it to a small dull pounding. I turned my attention to the building that housed Borzen and his guards. With a smile I pocketed the Bolt materia. Searching my other pockets, I finally found the materia I was looking for. It glowed a deep blood red that faded to a steely grey on occasion. It grew warm in my hand as I gave it my MP.

"Alright…show them fear, Odin."

The rain around the building ceased and the clouds above Midgar parted to reveal a large glowing moon above us. Hoof beats clacked against the gravel of the stone and I turned to discover Odin atop his enormous mount. He turned to me with a questioning look in his eye and I smiled widely and pointed to the large building in the middle of the yard. Odin nodded with understanding and his horse took a tentative step forward.

"What is that thing!" A voice from inside the building cried out in terror.

"Oh fuck…Oh fuck."

Borzen appeared by the doorway and fell limply to his knees as they gave way due to his fear. "It's a…summon."

"Are you serious!" On of the guards leapt out of a window and landed heavily in the green mud, slipping and falling as tried desperately to get away. "Shit! I'm getting the hell out of here!" He dashed madly to the corner of the building and began to make the turn.

Odin kicked the flank of his horse lightly and in a flash, closed the distance between the two. He towered over the fearful man as lightning flashed behind him. The guard fell to his knees and then onto his face in terror and screamed desperately. Odin raised his blade high above his head and then cut downwards. The blade cut through the man and deep into the earth below.

Without hesitation, Odin began to trot forward toward Borzen and the remaining guard. The two of them pressed their foreheads to the ground in prayer and shivered in fear. Odin halted in front of the two. Good lord, this excitement, I was trembling with it. It felt so impossibly right. Letting go of all pretense, I leaned forward and raised my own blade. "Kill them Odin! Make them pay!"

With that shout of my own, I felt part of the guard I had placed on my mind shatter and a wellspring of emotion break forth. Tears came to my eyes and my legs began to move on their own, dashing madly toward the summoned monster. Odin raised his blade in the air and his deep voice filled the muddy field. "**ZANTETSUKEN.**"

"NO!"

I dove forward, blade reaching out in desperation. They didn't need to die now! I knew better. Odin's sword tore downwards, arcing swiftly towards the two victims. My blade flew forward, just barely reaching it in time. For a moment, Odin's blade came to rest on my own. For a moment, my sword held. And then…Odin's blade tore through my sword like air and cut through Borzen and the guard who fell to the ground in pieces.

In my hand, the summon materia grew cold again. I let it fall to the floor along with the now useless sword in my hand. They fell into the mud with a splash and the rain once again began to fall from the sky above as the clouds covered up the glowing moon. I had been too late again. Too late to make any permanent change. How could this be so hard?

My hands clenched tightly in anger and I looked toward the doorway of the abandoned office building. It glowed bright white now. Taking a step forward, I threw off the Shinra helmet that the grunts wore. IT crashed into the wall of the building and fell to the wooden floor beneath.

"I'm tired of being your puppet," I said quietly. "I'm done with this. I won't cry anymore because of you people. I will beat this, if it's the last thing I do." I reached the glowing doorway and stood there for a moment in silence. "I'm going to make everything right again and save everyone, even if it kills me. I'm going to get out of here."

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Woohoo! Finished the second part of the chapter really fast! That wasn't too hard. In any case…I…have nothing else to say.

Thank you to heartsoblivion for reviewing so fast on the last update and Unita as well. I hope you do check out the other fic I made.


	12. Interrupted Games

Too tired to give a full thing.

See other chapters for disclaimer.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 12

Interrupted Games

My heels clacked against the white tiles. Masamune swung heavily at my side, swaying back and forth until I placed a firm hand on the hilt. I felt colder, distant from everything. My eyes were sharper. My breath came easily and deep. I felt tense and ready for anything. I was through with their games. I was done with it and wasn't going to be the puppet in this production. I walked quickly down the white hallway, stepping with assured footsteps and never looking back. In front of me, the next door rose high upon a platform, glowing slightly. I reached the steps in a few powerful strides and stood there for a moment. I needed another card to get inside, but where do I get one?

"You can step out of the shadows now, you can't hide anymore," I said coldly, never turning around.

Behind me, I heard a low gasp and then a light step on the white tiles echoed through the hallway. The man began to clap slowly, gloved hands coming together again and again and then joined by a low whistle. Finally, the footsteps stopped and I heard the rushing of leather as the man turned to face me from the center of the hallway.

"Very impressive," the man said simply.

In a second, Masamune had left it's sheathe and I leapt across the hall, turning in mid air and cleaving a straight line through the man at his waist. For a split second, his eyes grew wide and he coughed up a small river of crimson. With a look of disgust, I lashed out with my foot and kicked the body away. It split into two halves and fell to the floor, spraying dark blood all over the floor.

"I'm tired of playing with doppelgangers," I murmured quietly. "Either give me the next card of come out and fight me yourself."

There was a loud whooshing sound and then the hallway went dark. The doorway at the end of the hall remained bright and glowing but the rest of the room went entirely dark. There was a small noise and then a man blinked into existence on the raised pedestal.

"If you insist, I'll do just that," Silver hair fell over his eyes in strands which he casually flicked backwards.

"You are…Zexion, right?" I recognized the man standing before me. "You tried to fool me with a vision of Aerith and _you_ kept me from saving Riku from Maleficent's _gifts_."

"I am honored that you remember me."

I took a small step forward and readied Masamune. Then, I retracted my foot and stood up straight. "I said I was done with doppelgangers."

The clone faltered and disappeared for a moment. It reappeared with a startled expression and then placed a hand against it's forehead in annoyance. "You really are good, aren't you?" It flickered out of existence, leaving behind trails of shadow. "If you're going to be so damn stubborn, I might end up doing what you say."

There was another whooshing sound and the large doorway opened up, spewing light across the dark hall. Zexion stepped through the frame, silhouetted in light and placed a hand against his chin. "Is this any better?"

Without a word, I placed Masamune back in it's sheathe and took a deep breath. As the cool air slowly came into me, I let my energy expand inside my body. Closing my eyes, I calmly let the breath out, clearing my lungs and my mind. My fingers stretched outwards, flexing in the failing light as the door began to close. Zexion shifted uncomfortably on the pedestal. Silently, I opened my eyes.

"I will not _repeat myself._"

My energy exploded outwards, filling the hall and stripping the shadows from the floors and wall. The room shook and wavered under the pressure of my assault. Zexion shouted in pain and disappeared. Another doppelganger, as expected. The air grew hot with the intensity of my attack and grew to a boil. I remained in the center of it all, calm and collected as though I were simply standing still. My power poured out, crushing the white tiles and blasting away shadows.

All at once, the hallway flickered slightly and for a brief moment, I saw something different. There was a girl in a bright white room. She had a small book in her hand. Her blonde hair fell softly over her shoulder. She looked sad. Suddenly, a page of her book burst into flames and she cried out. Was she…in pain? Frightened, she threw the book to the floor. A man dressed in the same uniform as all the other members of the organization hurried toward her and took her by the arm. His violent brown hair splashed backwards as he shook the young girl. She began to cry. During all of this, the one page in her book burned slowly.

And then, I was back in the hallway.

"You _idiot_!" Zexion dashed past me and leapt up the stairs by the exit. The floor shook and the walls quaked. I stood up...I had fallen over? Zexion, the real one, fumbled in one of his pockets and removed a card from it. Quickly, he held it up to the doorway and it sparkled violently. Gathering my self, I leapt up and sped towards Zexion. He turned briefly as the door opened for him. With a look of frustration and indecision on his face, he dug into his pocket and pulled a card from it which he threw to me.

"I don't know why…but one of us wants you alive and it's not my place to go against his wishes," He shook his head and stepped through the doorway. "This room will stop existing soon…we'll talk soon enough though." And then he disappeared through the portal. In a flash, the doors sealed behind him.

I glanced at the piece of paper in my hand and stepped across the shaking ground. behind me, something exploded and echoed through the hallway. I glanced back at the other door and saw that it was on fire. Slowly, the hall began to burn away, leaving patches of something colorless. Is this…non-existence? It burned away, the tiles slowly melting and then evaporating into some substance that had no features. It looks like the Nexus.

I turned away from the rapidly disappearing hallway and raised the card in my hand over my head. It glowed softly and resonated with the door. Slowly it began to open, spilling light into the burning hall. The walls crumbled in around me until only the pedestal and the door were left. I felt the strange flames lick my heels as I stepped forward into the sparkling portal. I took a deep breath as I felt the alteration of being myself to being me of the past. Before I was entirely swallowed into the bright light, I felt one last question bubble to the front of my mind.

Who was that girl?

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(I dislike doing this…but I'm pressed for ways to make a change in scene and only having up to here seems like a cop out so, grimace…this is a divider, not the end.)

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There was a voice from across the room. Gravely, I opened my eyes to find one of my subordinates bowing profusely and mumbling apologies. The soft glow from the lights overhead grew brighter until it was too harsh to look at. My room is bare, save for a bed I don't use and a dresser with my different sets of clothing.

"Sephiroth, sir!" the man at the door saluted and bowed again. I waved a hand to halt his apologies and asked him to tell me why he was in my room. "Professor Hojo requests your presence immediately, sir!" With a wave of my hand and the assurance that I would be there as soon as possible, the man bowed and left the door, the cold metal slamming shut in his wake. Silently, I removed my sleepwear and donned my regular clothing, sturdy but flexible leather, and strode through the doorway.

The soldier who had awoken me had not told me where Hojo was, but that only meant that he was in the second lab. That was his favorite, wasn't it? That sick bastard did his best experiments in there. But it wasn't my place to criticize. He was only my father, and higher on the political food chain that I. The crowded hallways parted as I walked through and the sea of men in lab coats began to follow after I had passed. Soon I had a following of over thirty scientists. This was not uncommon, whenever Hojo called for me, it promised to be a fabulous experiment.

The crowd and I parted ways as I walked through a large double doorway of sliding metal. The crowd turned and marched up the stairs, proceeding into the observatory section of the lab. I walked with confidence and an air of annoyance through the decontamination hall and then passed through the second set of sliding doors. Lab 2 seemed to have been cleaned up before I had arrived. There wasn't a single scrap of flesh or bloodstain on the entire metal platform. The lights glared down from overhead and fell violently upon a large upraised pedestal in the center of the room.

"Welcome, Sephiroth," Hojo's voice echoed through the lab as it left the speakers placed at the corners of the room.

"What experiment today, Hojo?" I asked tiredly.

There was a snicker from the speakers and then Hojo said quietly, "No experiment, just a gift. It is your birthday after all." How considerate, the old man had brought me a present. I looked around the room and focused my attention on the raised platform. The metal box rose upwards and then sprouted two large prongs that held an enormously long object.

"A sword?" I was surprised. I made no attempt to hide my annoyance. For a moment, I thought about turning to the scientist and insulting him for his ridiculous staging of this event. Then, I glanced carefully at the sword on the pedestal. The hilt was dark blue, like the midnight sky anywhere else but Midgar. It swirled endlessly like space itself. I turned toward the large glass booth above me. "This is that cursed blade. The one that's been causing so much trouble." I returned my gaze to the sword. "Masmune."

"Yes," Hojo hissed with glee.

"The one that kills those who attempt to wield it. Anyone who touches the thing, dies instantly."

"That's the one."

"And you want me to take it as a present."

"Yes."

I sighed softly. I had been looking for a place to die. Now is as good a time as any I suppose. "You don't need to dress it up, scientist. It's an experiment." I strode toward the sword. "You don't need to sugar coat it for me." My hand stretched out towards the glittering hilt. "I_ am_ the general of SOLDIER after all." My fingertips brushed the hilt tentatively and then I grabbed it in a tight fist and pulled it swiftly from it's sheathe.

The world halted, for a second. Everything went dim and a group of excited scientists all gasped in unison. Then, time caught up with itself and the hilt in my hand shuddered violently. A tendril of dark red flame laced with purple electricity exploded from the point of the blade and swiveled to eye me like a snake. It looked at me with eyes that didn't exist, and then flashed forward.

"Stop."

The materia in my free hand glowed brightly as my MP drained into it. The small cyclone of energy halted in its attack, only centimeters from my face. The observatory above me let out a collectively held breath and I let go of the hilt which remained suspended in the air. With my heels clacking softly against the metal floor, I crossed the lab and stood, waiting on the other side for the spell to wear out. After several more minutes, the materia in my hand grew cold and the blade dropped out of the air. It fell to the ground and clattered loudly against the floor.

The tendril of energy, on the other hand, exploded forward, surging toward me with renewed resolve. It flew directly for my face with something akin to ferocity. It's like it has emotions, I thought quietly. Pulling two more orbs from my pocket, I dodged the flailing tentacle and muttered the two spells.

"Wall," I said, and a bright light exploded in front of, taking the form of a rainbow barrier. Then, for extra protection, I whispered the next spell and poured more MP into the next little stone. "Shield." Another wall of light formed around me as the beam of energy lashed out and connected with the barriers I had summoned. They flashed brightly and I saw the 'Wall' spell crack and then explode violently. After several seconds of struggling, the 'Shield' spell gave way as well.

With trained agility, I rolled to the side and dove over the raised pedestal in the center of the room. I landed softly next to the fallen blade and reached for the hilt once again. In a flash, the swirling vortex of energy reversed direction and soared toward me in a rage. With a small grin, I evaded the flying tendril and whirled around, whipping out the long blade and severing the head of the tentacle. For a moment, it hesitated and flickered indecisively and then faded into nothingness. The rest of the tendril soon followed and I felt the hilt hum quietly. Did it feel…respectful?

"Glorious." Hojo's voice resonated through the metal room as he breathed heavily into the speakers. "Absolutely amazing." Several scientists began to clap but were quickly silenced by a look from Hojo. "In any case, the blade is yours and research teams 1-5 will review the tapes later. I will be joining you so as to make sure none of you idiots fuck up this excellent data." Then he turned his attention to me and smiled widely. "You've made your father proud," his grin faded instantly as he grew somber once again. There was something awful about the way he said 'father' and 'proud' in the same sentence.

"But you have new orders from the president," he began. I rolled my eyes and stood at attention, ready to receive the orders. As Hojo opened his mouth to speak again, the back of my skull began to itch slightly. "You and three other members of SOLDIER are to be put on an assassination mission for ex-SOLDIER member Orrok Haverson."

"Orrok…" I muttered quietly. "SOLDIER, second class. He accompanied me on the field several times in the Wutai war." The itching grew larger and more violent, too difficult to ignore. It began to gradually turn into a pounding sensation that hurt my entire head.

"Do you have any…issues carrying out this mission?" Hojo's voice was soft, almost daring me to say that I did.

I opened my mouth slowly, preparing to denounce his accusation. The words rose in my throat and then stopped. My head pulsed violently and then I was replaced. My eyes hardened and I swallowed the disgusting words in my throat. My legs were quaking from the effort of being in this body and keeping the memory at bay but I opened my mouth again.

"Yes. I do have an issue with the mission." I began. My knees gave way under the pressure of taking back my body and I hit the floor hard, causing the metal to echo loudly. "I have a problem with all of this and I am not the killer you wanted me to be any more." I fell forward onto my face and I felt the cool metal against my skin. Inside my head, the memory of my younger self was screaming in protest. "I'm done with it, Hojo. I am not going…" I gasped for breath as the overwhelming force of my memories flooded over me. "To be…a pawn…_of my own memories!_"

The room shook with my final words. For a moment, it all blinked out of existence and I saw again, the blonde girl with the notebook. She was sitting with a pained look in her eye and clutching at her head as though it hurt. Then I flashed back to the laboratory as the me of memories evaporated and left my mind free and my own once again. Above, in the observatory, Hojo and the other onlookers froze completely, the memory interrupted. With sore legs, I stood up and shook myself free of the stiffness that came with struggling for my own body.

"Well that's not the way it goes at all…" A lighthearted voice spoke from the exit of the lab floor. Standing by the doorway was Axel. He smiled widely and clapped his hands together with glee. "I see you're starting to get a hang of this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out another blank card. "Well…I need to get going but here's your next card." He walked past me toward the other exit. When he reached it, he turned and said thoughtfully. "Although…you shouldn't try too hard…you'll end up really hurting her. And that would cause some serious problems for all of us." He walked through the door which glowed brightly and flashed once. "Later."

I looked down at the card in my hand and then pocketed it. One last time, I glanced around the lab at the frozen faces of Hojo and the other researchers. And then strode silently through the exit.

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Too tired for a full note here…but I like this chapter…cept for the break thing.

Thank you very much to Unita and xsaturnine for reviewing…it helped so much you guys. Everyone else…please review…im begging you. I need reviews to help me write…xsaturnine can attest to this.

Oh! Crap…I do have time for a full note here. Ok…so I'm thinking of putting the fic on hold soon. The reason for this is that I recently found some screenshots and magazine scans that show that Sephiroth will be in KH2. Now…I am obsessed with Sephiroth and I want to stick to his basic story as much as I can. So I'm thinking of postponing the fic after I get out a few chapters until I can play through the game and see his relationship with people. I have this crazy idea that he's connected with some one of the XIII order. I thought, cause the background was similar in the screenshots, that maybe he and Saix have something going on but I cant tell so maybe after a couple more chapters I might have to put this fic on hold til then. Tell me if you strongly disagree or have any concrete information on Seph's role in KH2.

I repeat, I am not postponing the fic now. There will be a couple more chapters probably.


	13. Voice Activated

Just a short chapter…cause my personal life has recently gone to shit..._but I will persevere!_

Disclaimer: You think you're sooooo cool don't you? The Man? Well you know what? I'm afraid I just don't have the energy to stick it to ya right now. But you just wait. I don't own anything, yet.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 13

Voice Activated

Light flashed and my head pounded briefly as I staggered through the door and out into another identical hallway. My legs felt like lead, only more painful, and my arms were burning with something intense that I just couldn't seem to place. I felt hollow, lifeless and cold, but triumphant at the same time. My mind briefly pondered Axel and his puzzling appearance, but soon gave up and let it be, too tired to formulate any sort of rational hypothesis.

I dragged slowly across the white tiles, tired and sluggish. A rest is what I needed. When was the last time I had one of those? Good lord…when _was_ the last time I ever rested? Try as I might, I couldn't recall a single time since I had left Traverse Town, what seemed like eons ago. Not that it matters. I can't rest now. If I rest in here, those people will find me.

"We'll talk soon enough though." Zexion's last words rang inside my head like an unpleasant ringing. Why was he so sure of that? It didn't really matter though, not really. I don't have any power in this place, so it's best not too worry about where I'm going. Just go up, that's all I really need to know.

And then a noise, echoing softly from the space beyond the door, reached my ears on tiny wings. By this time, my unconscious walking had brought me to near the halfway point of the hallway. I turned and saw that the large white doorway was shuddering slightly. Suddenly, it cracked open slightly, a thin beam of light falling harshly onto the floor and glaring up into my eyes.

It opened quietly and after several seconds, stood completely ajar. From inside, two figures became apparent. One wore the traditional robes that everyone seemed to wear in this place. His long hair fell forward in two long clumps, while the rest of it descended casually down his back.

"Vexen."

I said his name quietly, focusing on him as he came into view. His smirk was poorly concealed and he seemed to be chuckling silently to himself. I watched him as he stepped out from the glittering doorway and then turned to beckon his companion to follow. This one was smaller, about the size of a young boy, and he carried himself with an air of uncertainty. As his shape grew clearer against the bright light, I stepped back in shock and just barely managed to catch myself before falling entirely to the ground.

"Riku?"

The silver haired boy stepped out of the door and onto the white tiles. He blinked for a moment and then rubbed his eyes under the change in lighting. He paused for a moment and shook a stray piece of hair from his face before he turned his focus on me.

"Sephiroth?"

I felt woozy and unsure of what to do. I wanted to run to him and make sure that he was ok. He was finally standing in front of me again, and isn't that what I had wanted? But even as I took a step forward, something hit me. Something was out of place with the Riku in front of me. Why was he standing so calmly with Vexen? What had Vexen said that would let him feel so comfortable around him? And why…why was he wearing those clothes?

He stood by the door with the same face and bright aqua eyes, but his body was covered in a dark costume, adorned with the Heartless symbol on the chest. It was completely black all around his torso but as it branched outwards, it grew into a deep blood red, forming gauntlets around his gloved fingers. Around his waist he wore a ragged white cloth that was fastened on by several belts. It was the same clothing he wore while under the influence of Maleficent's gifts.

"What the hell did you do to him?" I turned to face Vexen, my eyes now set like stone. My legs stopped shaking and I felt rejuvenated in my strength. Strength born from the hatred I was feeling toward this horrid man.

"Do to him?" Vexen smiled evilly. "Why, nothing at all, at least…not the Riku that you know."

I looked carefully at Riku. Something about him was certainly wrong. He looked the same but there was something, some small detail that was so clearly wrong. I couldn't place it. Then I returned my gaze to Vexen and my memory caught up to me. "It would be an honor to repeat your experiment…"

Vexen's eyes lit up in recognition of his own words. "Ah…I see you do listen to people when they talk to you."

"Vexen…what is he talking about?" Riku turned with suspicious eyes on the scientist beside him. He gripped the hilt of his sword tighter. There was a raging storm behind his cold aqua eyes. Vexen smiled and reached out to place a hand on the boy's head which was quickly knocked away by the youth. "This is what Sora and that…other me…we're talking about, isn't it?" Vexen nodded gravely. "Why does everyone insist that I can't be Riku? It doesn't make any sense? Haven't they known me long enough to recognize me?"

Vexen scowled darkly and kneeled down in front of the new Riku. "It's because they're trying to hurt you. You remember some of the things you did…while Ansem was controlling you? Right?" The replica nodded with a grimace. "Well they don't seem to be ready to forgive yet. So…" he paused and looked at me. "They would rather accept that other Riku, the fake who is stealing who you are, because he was never taken advantage of like you were. But they don't understand that…they only see the times you hurt them, never stopping to think about why."

Riku's bottom lip shuddered and he turned with indecisive eyes to look at me. "Even you Sephiroth? I thought you might understand…after all…you'd been in my position once…hadn't you?"

He looked at me with pleading eyes, but I remained silent.

"Didn't you have to live with a voice in your head, always telling you to do something terrible?" He shook his head and tears fell from his eyes. "Didn't you feel that too?"

My fingers grew tense against the hilt in my hand but the rest of me remained stock still, staring intently at the false Riku.

"Don't you know what it's like! Don't you understand?" He thrust his arms out, his sword clattering to the floor and sliding across the white tiles. "Can't you forgive me?"

The boy shook with sobs as he stood there. His arms soon fell to his sides and his knees hit the floor. Tears fell freely from his eyes and pooled slowly on the floor beneath him.

"I just want to be accepted again…I want my friends back. I'm tired of running from them…I just…I just want them back."

Masamune vibrated softly in my hand. I stared, still and cold down at the prostrate Riku on the floor. I didn't know what I could say. This wasn't the Riku I knew. It wasn't the Riku that I had worked so tirelessly to keep from harm…but why shouldn't I care about this one as well? He's so much like me. So much like me…when I discovered I wasn't a human.

First it was denial. I remember thrashing about the basement of that terrible place, hurling books and smashing bookcases until my arms were sore. Then resignation. I fell back into the chair behind the desk and gave up on life, deciding that I would let myself wither away in that cellar. And finally came madness. I searched for some kind of redemption and could only find hope in the destruction of others. One reason was all I needed to burn the entire town to the ground.

What stage was this boy at?

I never truly had friends…he thought he did. What must that feel like…to find out that everyone you think you know…has never met you before? It must be a terrible feeling. His fingers were scraping against the tiles, grabbing against nothing and smashing downward again and again on the ground, now wet from his tears. Nobody had told me anything…nobody had explained what I was. Maybe that's where it went wrong for me. I couldn't let it happen to anyone else.

"I know what it's like."

My voice sounded hollow and wrong, stripped of emotion. But there was an intense feeling of purpose behind it.

"I know what it's like to find out that I was never real. I know what it's like to question what right I have to exist. I know what it's like…" I turned my gaze from Riku to Vexen, "To have a voice constantly whispering lies into my ear. It's terrible."

Riku looked up with wet eyes, sniveling slightly and gasping for breath. His eyes seemed to still shine with suspicion despite his otherwise hopeful demeanor.

"It's terrible and sometimes overwhelming. People turning against you and stabbing you in the back and the worst thing is that you know that they have a good reason and you _deserve it._ And eventually it grows out of your control and the wall inside your head crumbles and this…this flood of something black and terrible surges forward and blots out everything except what you can do to keep yourself sane."

Vexen smiled slightly but there was fear in that expression, obvious and unavoidable fear. Apparently, whatever it was that I was doing, I wasn't doing it the way he had planned. His left hand slowly lowered and hid behind his back.

"But that's a lie and you know it. That doesn't matter though…because you know that if you second guess yourself then you'll find out that you were wrong and that everything you did was awful and you really are to blame for all those things and then you know you'll really go crazy. So you ignore the messages, the instincts and semi-thoughts you dream up while your awake until you've become cold and unfeeling and kill anything that vexes you at all." I looked back to the Riku on the floor and shook my dry, cold eyes. "I know what it's like."

Slowly he dried his eyes and stared cautiously at me. I couldn't even begin to imagine what he was thinking. I knew he hadn't felt all these things. I knew he was still just coping with the beginning stages but that didn't matter to me.

"And when you finally find the light again, you always feel like you were too late, too weak and too foolish to ever catch up to the real heroes. So you try and you try but you know what you find out? It's not for you after all. You can't protect everyone and trying only ends up harming you as well. And is it worth it? In the end? I don't even know. But I know one thing…"

I tilted Masamune toward the ground slightly, weighing it in my palm. The blade glinted dangerously and I heard Vexen give off an audible gulp. He shuffled backward slightly and pressed his hand against the large door.

"You can't let voices tell you what to do!"

As my feet left the ground, the door flashed bright white and blinded me momentarily. Acting solely on memory, I dashed forward and slashed violently into the blinding light. Masamune met no resistance in it's attack and I jumped backward and sheathed the blade, readying myself for any counter attack that could come my way.

After a few seconds, the light faded and disappeared. I quickly scanned the hall to find that I was once again alone. I stood up straight and relaxed my grip on Masamune's hilt. With a sigh and small scoff, I flicked a stray hair out of my face and strode toward the other end of the hallway.

And sometimes…you just need to work out your problems on your own. Next time we meet, I'll tell him what he really is. I may be growing cold again but I'm not going to let other people end up like me.

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Ugh…I really don't like the ending of this chapter…I figure I'll change it later. Whatever…tell me if you think it's ok. Hehe…guess what I just realized. So…I have kinda been going on about Namine a bit and how mysterious she is, right? Well I just realized, when searching for the Vexen quote I used again, that Vexen already kind of explained exactly what she does…just not who she is or why shes here. So there goes a bit of the mystery. Oh well.

Sigh…so my life has been falling apart recently…I realize that I hate where I live and I don't actually have anyone within 45 minutes travel from my own home who I can garner a hug from. I never realized how much I require hugs…its very strange. I'm not sure if I like how cute and bouncy I am on the inside…but I know that I hate how I can't display it in my current surroundings.

I need a girlfriend…any takers? I'm not hideous…

I think the sad thing about that is that I'm only half kidding. Meh…so as I was saying…my life has gone to shit recently and I need a hug. But I need to stop angsting to you guys about getting hugs…it's not really fair. This isn't live journal or anything…well even though I kinda use it for one. Whatever.

So can anyone tell me if Riku Replica survives after Chain of Memories. I seem to have forgotten exactly what happens. Also about my plea for information regarding Sephiroth's role in KH2, I should tell you exactly what I want so that you don't accidentally ruin the game for me.

Does he have any affiliation with the Organization?

if so, with which characters does he seem to be dealing with…don't tell me details…just…who and what kind of deal.

Is he still a meanie? That's probably obvious but I'd appreciate the info.

DO NOT under any circumstance say anything about the battles concerning him. I don't want to know about how many people he fights or who he fights. That will make me very angry if you tell me.

That about covers it.

And thank you to xsaturnine, Unita and Heartsoblivion for being so cool and reviewing again. Congratulations are in order for Unita who finally beat Marluxia. That's awesome. Now you can know who I was talking about when I mention Zexion and Lexaeus.

You know what bad I like? Dir en Grey…


	14. Learning Curve

Phew…after some serious motivation, I finally have another chapter out. I like my schpeel about spells in this chapter it might not be relevant…but its pretty cool, in my opinion…which is what really matters. I also like writing Axel…even if he doesn't like…do all that much. You know who I miss writing? Squall. I feel like he and Sephiroth bonded in Shadow Feather. I wanna rekindle that…it's a shame that the worlds kind of…don't mix. But whatever.

You want a disclaimer? Huh? Punk? Why don't you get Walt Disney to come over here and ask me for one himself? Yea. That's what I thought. Why not have Nomura come over here and maybe I can…treat him to a nice dinner and ask for his autograph…and then…refuse to disclaim?

I don't own any of the characters or places below…or your mom.

But she owned me last night.

…

What?

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Angel Memories: Chapter 14

The Learning Curve

(no thunder for you)

The silence was comforting.

Alone in the hallway, I took a moment to lean against a large white pillar and rest myself. My legs felt like stone and my arms didn't feel like they were attached at all. My body felt foreign to me, as though I was slipping into a new skin entirely. With a grimace, I glanced briefly at my left had, scarred and puffy from my encounter with Demyx. The skin was a bright shade of pink.

Looking over the wound, I remembered my encounter with the musician. My spell hadn't worked. Why was that? I didn't need Materia anymore, I hadn't since I had fallen into the Lifestream all those years ago. Vexen had said that the effects of LIfestream as well as Mother had been eradicated in the world shift. That might account for my inability to cast magic, but on the other hand, I never saw anyone else carrying Materia around, and I did cast Cure on Riku a long time ago.

Undoubtedly, the use of magic would help strengthen me against those who would seek my life. As things are, they have an advantage over me with my lack of knowledge in magic. What had Demyx said? Suffixes. But what did he mean by that? I briefly ran through my memories of encounters with those who cast magic. When I had first left the Planet, where had I been? In the Nexus…I met Ansem there.

Then it came to me. What had Ansem said when I had destroyed his guardian? I remembered the man weeping and kneeling in a pool of black blood and casting the same spell over and over again. What had he said? What was the word he used?

Biting my lower lip, I placed the index finger of my right hand on the swollen palm of my left. It was risky…I still remembered the pain it had caused his guardian…but perhaps Heartless don't take well to healing.

"Curaga."

Some of my MP drained away and flushed through my right arm, making it glow a sickly green color. When the glow reached my finger, it disappeared. Suddenly, directly in front of my face, large golden bells appeared and rang twice. Leaves that shined gold and green materialized and floated downward to fall gently on the calloused skin of my left hand. Upon contact, the leaves disintegrated and faded to nothing. I looked carefully through the bright glow of the bells at my hand.

The dried blood evaporated and vanished. Pink puffy skin retreated and shrunk to the correct size and color. The scar from the cut that I had made faded and nearly disappeared. The dull throb that had been consistent for the past hour or so left without a trace and the whole limb felt flexible and new. I raised the pal to my face and clenched my fingers. Completely healed. Come to think of it, the sensation of healing felt almost exactly like Cure3.

"Suffixes…" I mumbled. Slowly I stood up on shaky legs and pointed at the pillar across the hall from myself. Being careful not to let my MP flow freely, I focused on the white stone in front of me. "Boltaga," I whispered quietly. My MP draine toward the outstretched hand but something felt different. It wasn't the same as when I had used Curaga. Gritting my teeth fiercely I canceled the spell and retracted the energy pouring into my arm. It left a small ache but nothing permanent.

"Now…why wouldn't that work?" I pondered my own question and tried to think back to what people had said about spells. Demyx had scoffed at Bolt, and mentioned Ice as well. He said I needed the right spell. Clearly "aga" was the correct suffix…but what was the word that would go before it? Come to think of it, I hadn't seen anyone use any lightning based attacks since I left the Planet.

Ice on the other hand…

Raising my hand once again and pointing at the pillar in front of me I focused myself and thought carefully about the spell. I had seen Sora use spells with ice when he fought Hades. What had he been shouting? Quietly, I summoned my MP and directed it into my arm. Quietly, I whispered what I hoped was the spell.

"Blizzaga."

My MP poured forward and leapt from my pointer finger, freeing into shards of ice that flew forward and splashed against the wall, freezing it and coating it with a layer of thick ice. Staring down at my hand, I smiled slightly. All I needed to do now was figure out how to use bolt spells in this place and I would be on equal footing with the people here as well.

With a sigh, I pushed myself away from the wall and stretched, loosening my aching joints. Before walking to the large white door, I cast Curaga one last time to eradicate any lingering pains that would hinder me later on. Once I felt limber and well off, I walked slowly toward the bright doorway. I ascended up the steps and then stood, looking at the portal carefully. Which memory was I going to face this time?

"Try and keep yourself limited in your rebellions, if you would be so kind." A light hearted voice that I easily recognized spoke from behind me.

"Hello again Axel. What do you want this time?"

I turned around slowly to discover the red haired man idly spinning a chakram around his middle finger. With a smile, he flipped it upward, giving me the finger in the process and then caught it as it descended. His grin widened to show gleaming white teeth and he rubbed his wrist against his neck.

"Just what I said, you need to keep your little…memory rebellions to a bit more of a minimum, if you wouldn't mind." Although he smiled convincingly, there was a hint of danger in his voice and in his eyes.

"And why would my reactions to my own memories concern you?"

Axel laughed for a moment and then slumped slightly, leaning against a white pillar. "Well it's really rather embarrassing." He paused and looked at me as though asking if that was enough of an explanation. I stared coldly at the man and he simply sighed and continued. "Every time you do something that goes against the nature of this place…you hurt someone that I care about. So far it's just been a headache or a burnt up page in her book…but if you really gave it your all…" he stopped smiling and glared dangerously at me. "You could really hurt her."

Images of the blonde girl in the white room came flashing back to. The page that burst into flames and her wincing as I combated history. So it was my fault that she was in pain. If that was the case…she must be the girl that Vexen had mentioned…the one in charge of this place.

"If she's the one making me relive all those painful memories…then I am not going to stop."

Axel looked at me sharply for a moment and then lowered his head. His fingers clenched around his chakrams and spat angrily onto the cold white tiles. "Tch…in that case I'll need to stop you right here."

In a flash, one of his chakram had left his hand and flew swiftly toward my face. Before it could reach me, my hand flashed up and grabbed the weapon out of the air. It shuddered violently in my hands but I gripped it tightly and smiled politely at Axel. The read headed man bared his teeth and snapped his fingers. The weapon in my hand shuddered and grew hot.

All of a sudden, it exploded into bright red flames that burned my skin. I dropped the chakram which dropped several feet and then flew back to Axel's waiting hand. He caught the flaming object and twirled it around his fingers with ease, seemingly unaffected by the fire that surrounded his hand.

"It's not her choice. Do you know that?" Axel said angrily. "She's not hurting you because she wants too.

"That doesn't matter. The point is that she is tearing me apart and I have no intention of letting her continue to do that." I pulled Masamune from it's sheathe and pointed toward Axel. "If you care about her so much and she is being controlled, then why not do something about it?"

The whirling ball of flame in Axel's hand flared and then went out quickly. His hands fell limply to his sides and he hung his head, seemingly in shame. One of the chakram fell from his fingers and clanged against the floor. With his hand now free, he dug into a pocket and pulled out a small white piece of paper. Another card. Without looking up, he flung it toward me and I caught it without hesitation.

"You're right," he said. And then he turned with his leather flapping in his wake. The chakram on the floor shivered and then flew into his hand which he held out half heartedly. Without glancing back, he pushed open the door at the opposite end of the hall and let it close behind him. I watched the light fade and sharpen as it disappeared and then turned to my own door, holding the card in my hand.

I held the small piece of paper up which shimmered in the brightness of the hall. In a moment, the door had opened wide to reveal the flaring white light behind it. I took a step forward and prepared myself for what was to come. With each new step it became harder to keep my eyes open and I felt myself slip slowly out of my consciousness. This time I barely kept my eyes open, straining to see myself as my body drifted away on the tides of light.

The last thing I saw before I fell into darkness was a young girl with blonde hair drawing carefully along the outlines of my body as it fell away from me. She looked me in the eye with dark rimmed lids that lacked sleep and shook her head slowly. She said something that I couldn't hear, but instead of listening, I read the movements of her lips as my lids finally closed over.

"Sorry."

The sound of woodpecker drove me to my senses. In a flash, I grabbed Masamune and unsheathed it, taking in my surroundings with precision and ease. The camp was quiet, above me, the stars shone through a covering of leaves and clouds that stretched as far as the eye could see.

After several seconds, I sheathed the great blade and went about the camp, inspecting the members of the company carefully. All of them were completely asleep in their respective tents, dozing after the hard 22 hours of travel they had all endured. I had the urge to scoff at their lax security and inability to wake as I approached. After looking over the first seven of eight tents, I came to the last. I peered inside to find one member of the military sleeping soundly but the other bedding was strangely absent. I retracted my head from the tent flap and addressed the man on the branch above me.

"SOLDIER, First Class, and you still don't understand the importance of rest?"

A snicker echoed from above and I heard the man shift his weight and fall from above to land nimbly on his feet. "You're one to talk. I don't think I've ever seen you sleep more than an hour at a time."

The brash tone and simplistic speech irked me to no end. I turned on the man and glared into his blue grey-eyes. They held their color for a moment and then swirled with briefly with a deep turquoise. The soldier crossed his arms and then reached upwards to flick a stray strand of jet black hair from his face.

"I would advise you to speak with more respect to your superiors, Zack."

The man just smiled playfully and ducked back into his tent.

"Try and get some sleep, _general_."

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Oh holy crap! I came up with the best idea while failing at restaining myself from reading all about Kingdom Hearts tow…and none of you are gonna know about it yet. Let's just say that if I don't _die_, you can expect me to carry this whole thing into Kingdom Hearts 2 with _gusto_. I am excited. HAHA! What luck! Maybe if you ask me super nicely I'll give you a hint sometime.

Ok…so I dedicate this chapter to Chaos009 because he got me mobilized and reminded me (or made me aware of the fact that) that I have some serious fans out there who _really_ like my writing. And I am disappointing them by not updating as often as I could be doing. I should try not to let my social life, however weird it may be, interfere with fanfiction. Don't let your ox into your neighbor's garden or something of the sort.

Also, thank you very much to heartsoblivion (I promise that I will review _all _of your chapters as well as your other stories at some point) xsaturnine and Unita (x2) for reviewing on chapter 12.


	15. User Friendly

New chapter. So there.

I had a bit of a mix up while updating chapters again…so here's the real chapter 15. Sorry for the confusion.

I don't own any of the characters or places.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 15

User Friendly

I spent the remainder of the night watching the men carefully as they exchanged turns with the night watches. A young man yawned at the end of his shift and ducked into his tent to wake the next in line. The cloth rustled softly as another soldier pushed his way out. His spiky blonde hair sprouted out on all ends for a moment before he placed his helmet on his hand and switched the night vision on with a soft click.

He was the most recent addition to the select team that the Turks had chosen for the team to surround me. I tended not to pay attention to the names of the new recruits. Zack could care about them so why should I? As long as they do their job, I shouldn't have to worry myself with trivial things like that. After fifteen minutes, the boy's head drooped slightly and then jerked up sharply. He was nodding off. What the hell was Veld thinking, sending someone so obviously inept on this mission?

Gradually, I stood up and gently wiped the dirt from my SOLDIER attire. The boy's head drooped again but this time he recovered more slowly. For a third time, the head fell forward and this time rested there undisturbed. Sighing, I stepped quietly toward the youth. Suddenly from behind me, I heard a sound. My head whipped around and my hand fell into place on Masamune's hilt.

Upon turning, I discovered an alarmed Zack waving his arms frantically in an attempt to tell me to stop. I obeyed and slipped the four inches of blade that had been removed from the sheathe slowly back inside. Zack let out a sigh of relief and mouthed to me that he would take care of our slacker. I nodded, grunting softly and sat back down against the tree where I had been before. As he passed he gave me a friendly smile that I dismissed. We would need to talk about his use of stealth around me and his lack of sleep later.

Carefully, I watched as Zack crept up on the sleeping child and detached his flashlight from his belt loop. Silently, he snuck around the young man and flicked the switch on the flashlight. Cautiously, he placed the beam of light so that it shone directly into the goggles of the soldier. Then, with a wide grin aimed at me, he thrust out his remaining hand and gripped the boy firmly around his jaw, effectively closing off his mouth.

With a startled jump, the boy woke up and immediately let out a muffled scream as his eyes opened into night vision goggles filled with flashlight beam. His hands flew to his helmet and he pulled it off in a rapid movement and dove to the side. Zack fell back, rocking with silent laughter and dropped his flashlight to the ground. The boy clutched at his eyes swearing softly and wiping away the tears.

When he regained his feet he discovered Zack lying, out of breath on the ground. His eyes flashed venomously but he finally decided to follow proper conduct. He feet came together and his hand flashed to his forehead in a stiff and grudging salute. Zack, clutching at his abdomen in pain, slowly stumbled to his feet and wiped away tears of laughter. He waved a hand to the boy and ruffled his intense bed head with a friendly hand.

"Go to sleep, I'll take care of your watch, you are the last one after all." He pushed the youth toward his tent and smiled widely. "After all, rest _is_ important." The bewildered child remained silent and simply stripped off his top and slipped into the tent. Zack let out a cheerful whistle and stretched lazily. He turned to me and grinned playfully.

"You give them too much slack," I said simply.

"Sometimes the men need it," he replied.

I cast a sidelong glance at the black haired teenager. He cocked his head and smiled with his deep blue eyes.

"That one…he'll never make it with us."

Zack grunted and sat down heavily. "Yea, but he's living out his dream, fighting with the great General of SOLDIER." He let out a wistful sigh. "No reason to strip him of that so soon."

"Hmph…I'm a legend now am I?"

"More than that," Zack began with a grin. "You're a hero. You practically won the Wutai war for us. We never stood a chance once they broke the firing line. Our weapons were our biggest advantage and once they got in range, we didn't stand a chance." He trailed off silently and spat at the ground. "I mean…the other members of SOLDIER helped out…but you saved entire regiments while you were on the field."

I remained silent for a long time, memories of various encounters with the Wutai ninja flashing in my head. It's true…they were far more adept when it came to melee combat. Maybe I had saved many of our own men from death…but how many of the enemy did I kill?

"So I'm a hero…we humans are disgusting…aren't we?"

Zack shot a confused glance in my direction. His mouth opened and shut but he couldn't seem to form a rational sentence. He looked again at me with a questioning stare…but I said no more and slowly drifted into a shallow sleep.

While I slept, I dreamed for the first time in as long as I could remember. The voice of a young girl echoed softly inside my skull, quiet and unintelligible at first but it soon grew until I could hear every cryptic word.

"…It's difficult to do more than one day at a time…I'm not sure if I can do what you ask."

A vision of blonde hair cascading over a pale white shoulder pulsed into view and then faded away. Hojo would want to hear about this, it had been so long since my last dream. Soon, another voice, deadpan and gruff began to resonate in my mind.

"You must try…something very important depends on it."

A flashing image of silver hair and a large X faded in and out of my sight. There was a pause and then the female voice sounded once again.

"But…what about Marluxia? He won't like what I'm-"

Before she could finish, the cold voice spoke again. "Marluxia doesn't matter anymore…he is a traitor to the superior and is being dealt with even as we speak. But for everyone's sake…for your own sake, you must make him relive these things once more."

Relive? And who were they talking about? I pondered this for a moment before coming to my senses and banishing the silly thoughts. Dreams didn't mean anything to me. Let Hojo and his lab rats analyze this. For now I'll simply memorize what I can.

"But…why? It's hurting him…you know that."

Silence stretched as a bright white room crossed my vision and then faded away.

"I know…but if he doesn't find some sort of middle ground between protecting people and looking out for himself…we're all going to have some serious problems later in the future."

"Saix…I don't know if I can really do this though…simply insofar as my own abilities even…"

"We can assist with that. I can lend you some of my own power…that should at least be enough to get him through this floor."

Saix? This floor? This was certainly a most cryptic dream. And why did I feel like I recognized the girl's voice? Another image flashed quickly in front of me, this time of a man standing against a pillar in a black leather suit. An enormous scar was emblazoned on the front of his face. He faced a young girl in a white chair. In her hand she held a small notebook. Blonde hair fell softly over one shoulder and her sleepless eyes shone darkly.

"Alright…we'll do that then. If it will really keep those other pieces from coming together."

"That is the plan." The male voice grew slightly tense and his worried tone showed in his next sentence. "Zexion is meeting him in the next hall…after that we have one more floor before he reaches you, we can only hope that the boy doesn't kill Marluxia before then." He sighed softly. "Now…take my hand and we'll let him feel his happier memories." Slowly, I felt myself drifting in a direction, fading out of my dream and into reality again.

"Don't forget…almost everything rests on this, Namine."

And then the world flashed bright white.

"Yo! Sephiroth!" Zack jogged to keep up with my lengthy strides through the hallway. "Going to see Hojo again?" He smiled widely as he drew up next to me. "The old man's pretty creepy, isn't he?" I looked gravely at the young man and shook my head in disgust. Zack let out a loud laugh and as we turned the corner, one of the lights overhead burst and white light filled my vision.

Above us, the stars shown like brilliant diamonds. Zack had taken up residence in one of his favorite places, a large branch of a tree and I peeled slowly at a fruit we had scavenged from the surrounding forest. "You ever wonder if there's life out there?" he asked quietly. "like…watching them all makes you feel pretty insignificant…makes you wonder if its all that worth it to be working in a job like this if you're so small," I heard him let out his familiar chuckle before flipping gracefully off the branch overhead. As he landed he smiled and tossed me another piece of fruit. "In case you get hungry," he said simply and then ducked inside his tent. The night sky exploded into bright light that cascaded over my eyes and blinded me temporarily.

"This isn't just their decision, is it?" Zack stood grudgingly in the doorway to East wing of the Dorms. "The great General Sephiroth doesn't just start receiving low level bodyguard and retrieval missions for no reason."

"Move," I said coldly. Zack didn't budge an inch.

"I've worked under you for a long time now…you requested this, didn't you?" I remained silent and pushed past the black haired young man. He grabbed my wrist as I passed. This was completely unacceptable behavior for a man of his rank. In a flash, I grabbed onto his wrist and threw him across the hall. He slammed forcefully into a wall but managed to keep his feet. I strode past him once again and he stepped in front of me with a grim expression.

All at once, the look on his face melted and his familiar smile fell into place on his lips. "Well I'm going with you…I hope you realize that. If you're stepping down from the hardcore missions…I still want to be there right next to you. How else are you going to deal with the men on the mission?" His brilliant smile made me nervous but I just nodded and passed him.

In front of me, the door to my own room loomed large and imposing. With each step, a small itch in the back of my head grew until I was standing directly in front doorway. Then, suddenly I felt some kind of tension release and my mind squeezed tight and…why had there not been any terrible memories?

I turned around briefly to survey the laboratory hallway. Why had I just relived the memories with Zack? It was certainly a break from the regular terrible things that happened when I entered a doorway. But it didn't make sense. Until now, I hadn't even felt the need to take over my memory and reclaim my body from that girl's control.

And why was there a gap in what I could remember of this floor. On the one hand, something different had taken place with the mixing of all the different memories…but that doesn't explain how I felt a gaping hole in my recollection of the time directly after I had fallen asleep. It felt as though something unbelievably important was missing and I couldn't even come within twenty feet of it.

It doesn't matter though. If I dwell too much on this, it'll only end up hurting me. As I stepped toward the doorway, I couldn't help but think about how I had nearly forgotten some of those memories of Zack. The door creaked open slowly, covering me in light and I stepped forward through it. Zack…he really had been the only person to ever think of me as a friend. As my body was consumed by the glittering nothingness, I recalled all the people I had met. Cloud who thought of me as a hero, Hojo who saw me as an experiment, and Jenova who always saw me as a puppet…Zack had been the only one to see me as an equal.

Maybe I really did have a friend back on that doomed world.

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I like Zack. Dude…I am _so _excited as to where this is all going. For like the third time ever, I know what's going to come next and how all the characters are going to fit into it all. I have a feeling I'm going to have the more hardcore readers looking back into Shadow Feather and being like "He _planned _this! That's amazing!"

…I didn't actually start planning things until I got a fan letter a couple chapter's ago. Chaos009, you are my man…for now at least. Between you and my inability to keep my grubby paws off of Kingdom Hearts 2 information, I have formulated exactly how I'm going to continue this whole thing after the Kingdom Hearts 2 arc is over. I can tell you right now…it's going to be epic. So be excited.

…as for the Kingdom Hearts 2 arc…I don't really know what I'm going to do. I'll figure something out…or use the Nexus to godmode my way through it.

Thanks go out to Chaos009, Unita, and xsaturnine for reviewing…sorry I'm not ranting about anyone…I jut am so excited…I love it. I even had to put that cryptic dream in there to help relieve myself a bit.


	16. Revalation Confrontation

So here are some more hints to what's to come. My guess is that you can already start piecing stuff together if you really wanted to but I can assure you that you will not, in a thousand years be able to guess the full extent of my plan.

ERm…this is the real chapter 16, sorry for any confusion with the accidental copy.

Oh go see the previous disclaimers, you lazy bureaucratic bastards.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 16

Revelation Confrontation

The light coalesced and drifted all around me, swirling and pulling gently at my hair. All at once I could see the next hallway stretching before me. I took the necessary steps toward it and then the last lingering element of my past mind fell away. Strange how similar it felt, the switch was not nearly as great as it had once been. Perhaps that was due to the nature of the last memory.

Again I recalled the number of events that I had just watched. All of them focused on Zack. The more I thought about him, the warmer I became. Thinking of his smile and how he had never tried to take advantage of me for his own means. If I had been a better person, perhaps we could have been friends once. Alas, that time was past and memories are not the force that should rule the present.

I cast aside my thoughts to the best of my ability and raised my head to gaze out of the doorway. As usual it stretched forward with bright white tiles and the walls were lined with large stone columns. At the end, the stairs rose up and the familiar door stood closed and ominous. My eyes swept downward and paused upon a figure waiting at the bottom step, hand upon his chin and eyes knowledgeable and calculating.

"Zexion…" I said quietly. He glanced quietly at the doorway and squinted. I could see the light reflecting sharply off of his eyes and I knew he could only just make out my shape in the light. Out of habit, I loosened Masamune and prepared for anything that would come once I was out of the safety of the doorway. As my heels clacked softly against the white tiles, Zexion let out a deep breath and turned to me. Behind me, the enormous door shut quietly, cutting off the light that permeated the glowing hall.

We stood in silence for a long time, watching each other. I contemplated his motives and whether he was here to fight or to discuss something inane.

"So are you another doppelganger? Or have you decided to step out of the shadows for real this time?" I asked him coldly.

Zexion shook his head with a defensive smile on his face. "No no…I'm the real me this time." He looked me in the eye for a moment and then turned his gaze to my hand, tensely laid upon Masmune. "Please…I don't aim to fight you, I would only end up dead." He carefully leaned back and sat down on the second step that led to the raised platform. Nervously, he placed his chin on one fist, the elbow resting on his knee. "I only want to talk to you about something of deathly importance."

I hesitated for a moment, hand still clasping loosely at Masamune's hilt. Finally, after a moment's thought, I let go and let my hands fall to my sides where they would rest. "What makes you think I'll listen to you? You've been treating me like a puppet ever since Riku gained his powers in Hollow Bastion."

Zexion sighed deeply and looked me in the eye, one orb of midnight blue shining through his mess of silver strands; the other was covered and lost completely behind it all. "That's just it. _Because_ I've been using you like a puppet all this time." His words were confusing but I let him continue, remaining silent and staring back at him. "We saw your potential early on, we wanted you as an ally, but the problem was that you weren't like us."

"You mean that I'm not human? That I was just created?" I interjected with a snarl.

Zexion's eye widened momentarily but soon shrunk to it's regular size. He shook his head, spikes of bright chrome lancing first to the left, and then to the right. Why did he look so nervous? "Being human has nothing to do with it." He paused for a moment and sighed. "It's because you are someone."

His words seemed familiar. Someone? Somebody? "If I said that I am not anybody…" The words of the cloaked man resonated inside my head. "Then it stands to reason that I am nobody," I whispered softly.

Zexion looked at me with a confused glare in his eyes. "Where did you hear that?"

I glanced up at him, he seemed…frightened…terrified even. "From one of your Organization cronies."

Zexion stood up in alarm. "What did he look like?"

"I don't know…he had his hood up the entire time."

Zexion clenched his fists and looked like he was about to scream at me but he calmed himself and then looked me in the eye again. "Well…there's no use in getting angry over it I suppose. You have no way of telling me who it is, and I can't force it out of you." He shook his head again and leaned back to sit down once again. He looked at me inquisitively. "But you are completely right."

What was this man getting at? Why was he speaking so cryptically? I don't need to listen to this man tell me who I am and what's to come. What will come will come and until then I just need to move forward. After a moments pause I began to walk slowly toward the steps.

"Please…listen to me," Zexion said pleadingly. I looked down at him, he had fear in is eyes and his gloved hands were shaking violently. "This is more important than you can begin to comprehend."

I stopped. My feet slid to a gentle stop on the white tiles. With one finger I reached up and flicked a stray hair from the front of my face. Why was he so frightened? Could he really be just pulling my strings again? If that was the case, he was one of the best actors I had ever seen in my life.

"Go on, I'll listen."

Zexion looked up at me with his visible eye. It shone dark like the night sky and it whirled with an overwhelming sense of relief. "Alright," he said, taking a deep breath. "It's a difficult story though…you'd better listen carefully." I nodded quietly and Zexion reached up to rub at his temples slowly.

"We wanted you to be our ally. You were strong, impossibly strong. Strong enough to beat Ansem. So we began to watch you ever since you arrived in Hollow Bastion. I believe you met Axel first, in the library once you had figured out where Riku was from. He told you about Hojo and his attempts to create another you and bring him to another world to save him." Zexion looked up at me and smiled gravely. "That was the first step.

"Too be honest, I'm not sure where we went wrong. Our actual plans focused much more on Sora and his part in everything. Our next objective was always watching over Riku in case Sora fell through. You were always more of a side project, 'let's get him to join us and we'll have more power, wouldn't that be useful?' But it never came to any more than that. You kept interfering, or trying to interfere with our plans that revolved around Riku that finally, you two wove together and we could simply use one stone to take you both out at once.

"Maleficent unlocked the boy's powers to their fullest and we shielded her from your wrath until her part was done. Then when Ansem had his chance to take the boy for himself, we made sure you wouldn't stop him. Finally, you were turned into a Heartless."

I shuddered slightly at his mention of that experience. Even now, I couldn't quite remember any of the events that transpired from that time, but Squall and Aerith had done a god job describing the terrible things that I had done.

"You're plan was to use me as a Heartless?"

Zexion looked to the ground in silence and slowly traced an invisible ornate cross with his finger on the white tile at his feet. "I'm not sure how much I am supposed to show you at this time. Let me just say that you have quite an interesting heart, the most interesting heart that we've ever seen before, I think."

All of a sudden, his head snapped upright and he stood up in a flash. My hand whipped Masamune from it's sheathe and my feet fell back into place, ready to strike forward at the startled man. Zexion whirled around to face the doorway behind him, pulling his spiky silver threads from his eyes. For a long time, he looked at the doorway in surprise before letting out a deep sigh and cursed softly.

He turned to me, chuckling scornfully. "So he was taken down by the Keybearer. I suppose there was never any real doubt, but nevertheless, it is a relief to be rid of the traitor."

What was he talking about? He mentioned the Keybearer, how did he know Sora? That didn't matter though, it sounded as though the boy was handling himself rather well. Nothing for me to concern myself over.

Zexion looked up at me and shook his head slightly. "I know I made our meeting sound as though it were of dire importance, and believe me, it most certainly is…but it will need to wait until another time. I have an appointment with Riku now." He turned toward the steps and began to walk slowly toward the doorway.

"Wait!" I cried, stepping forward. "You know where Riku is?"

Zexion paused and turned to me with a slight smile on his face. "Yes, all you need to do is come through this final floor and you'll see him soon enough." He reached out to the doorway but paused before his fingers touched the wood. Slowly he spun on his heel and looked at me. "You must find a balance. It is too late to request you to be emotionless now. We can only ask that you find the middle ground and learn to look out only for yourself every so often. We know that you're already heading down that path, but if you don't work faster…you will not survive." He produced a card from his sleeve which he then tossed lightly to me before turning to face the doorway. "None of us will."

Then the door opened wide and Zexion stepped through into the shining white light. As he disappeared into the brightness, his words echoed in my head. What was he talking about? Why…was it so important that I find a balance? I shook my head to clear it of thought and settled against a pillar to my left to think about the recent developments.

After several minutes of simply thinking as hard as I could, nothing came to mind. Instead I was left confused and bewildered. Frustrated, I ran my fingers through my hair and let out a deep sigh. This was getting me no where. I had no reason to believe anything that Zexion had said, he was my enemy after all. For now, all that mattered was continuing my journey through this place to reach whatever lay at the end of it all. To reach that little girl who toyed with my memories and…

And what?

What was I planning to do once I reached the little witch? Axel had said already that she was doing this against her own will. It isn't really her fault at all for doing any of this is it? She's just being used to someone else's selfish ends. Then what…what was I going to do when I saw her?

Free her? That seems reasonable. If I can rid her of the people who are pulling her strings and making her hurt me then she won't have any reason to use my memories against me anymore. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and my shoulder left the cold white stone. Once more I shook my head, silver flashing as light fell against the strands, and began a slow walk toward the door in front of me.

As I mounted the bottom step, I heard a noise from behind me, the sound of yet another door opening. Quietly, I turned around and saw two figures walking quickly out of the pulsing light. As their feet left the doorway and it began to close, they became more apparent against the dying glow.

"Riku?" The name fell from my lips before I could process the thoughts and messages flashing inside my head. Riku, dressed in his more sinister garb looked at me and sneered slightly. Axel, it was now apparent who the other man was, looked down at the boy and then back at me, shrugging apologetically. Beside him, the false Riku pushed a stray clump of hair from his dark eyes and looked directly at me.

"Riku?" He laughed, a cold and harsh sound that emanated from his throat. "Hardly, seems to me like I can never actually match up to that…real person." He scowled and looked directly at me. "Tell me, oh great protector, do you care about me the same way you care about him?"

I stepped backward, thrown off by his audacity. I stuttered slightly, unable to say anything and then, before I could formulate a full thought, the replica laughed again, loud and full to the brim with rage.

"You hadn't even thought about it had you! I must say I'm not really all that surprised. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. I thought that maybe you'd know what it's like to be…fucking created in someone's image…but I guess even with that, you are still so unable to see me as a real person." He smiled derisively at me flung his arms out wide. "Well how about a hug old man! What would I be? Your grandchild? A clone of a clone of a clone? How about a hug pops? Or is the false one not as cuddly as the real thing?"

I looked from the raving child to Axel whose brow was creased with worry. He caught my glance and simply mouthed a small apology in my direction. He looked as though he were as confused as I was.

"What are you looking at him for?" Riku interrupted my thoughts and drew my gaze back to his mocking position. With a scoff, he let his arms fall to his sides and placed one hand against his forehead, rubbing at his temples. "Well I've got another question for you." He stopped rubbing his temples for a moment to look at me through leering eyes. "What would you do if I said that I'm going to kill Riku right now? That I'm off to go kill the real Riku so I can finally be at least considered a real person." He smiled maliciously.

"How does that make you feel…gramps?"

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Hehe…Sephy is a grandpa…sort of. On a different note, if you're as OCD as I am about plot and timing along with the story…you'll have noticed by now that I have a serious issue following the timeline effectively. Chain of Memories isn't quite so memorable to me and as a result I can't put in as many details having to do with events and such. That's kinda why you never get to see Vexen or Lexaeus or Larxene die. I mean…I was kind of iffy on how to interrupt Zexion's little tirade of information…but then I figured out (thanks to a certain someone who sent me the game script, you know who you are) that Zexion really does die after Marluxia does. So fortunately I managed to give him somewhat of a viable reason for not telling all of you the whole story.

I worry that I gave away to much…whatever.

So here's the layout…so you guys know how many more chapters or so I'm going to have. I've got at least four chapters sort of mapped out so I can get cliffies on each one hopefully. After that, I might throw in a teaser of whats to come but don't count on that. Also, once this fic is finished, I'll have to take a break until I get and beat Kingdom Hearts 2…cause I'm a stickler for plot points and stuff that will happen will totally affect the arc that follows it.

Who reviewed…Ah yes! Gracias for Unita, chaos009 (a cool guy who people should hang out with :thumbs up:), heartsoblivion (x2) and a newguy alphablades who I guess is just starting to read Angel Memories. Didja read Shadow Feather yet? If not you probably should.

Speaking of Shadow Feather, Angel Memories is about to surpass it in reviews. I have mixed feelings about that…I mean I'm totally psyched that you guys like Angel Memories so much…but it makes me nostalgic and sad that Shadow Feather has been…put to the side. I suppose you can't exactly…review it again, all those people who did already, but people like Lord Dogma and…Manders1953 and Raging Phoenix…why aren't you guys reviewing? I dunno…I know you don't exactly have any obligation to do so but…I would totally appreciate it and it would help me get through the final chapter push for this story. It's up to you but…you put it on your favorites list…put both of them on…

Hehe…you know what I tend to do while I'm writing? Try and figure out a song or couple songs that goes really well with the feelings or events that I'm writing. I'm not going to do a songfic…but I think it's weird how like…Linkin Park's music is like…a biography of Sephiroth…at least Numb and Breaking the Habbit. I didn't like their music so much until I started making the connection. Weird huh?

Also…I decided just to make the chapter's match the update number…and make the green rain memories thing into separate chapters…just for simplicities sake…which is why this is chapter 16 now.


	17. Introduce Me

NEW CHAPTER! SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG! EXPLANATION AT THE BOTTOM!

Disclaimer: I…disclaim…NOTHING! SCAH-ROO YOO! Ugh…just check the previous chapters or get a freaking life instead of checking every fanfiction to see if they disclaimed stuff.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 17

Introduce Me

(to a Nameless boy)

His arms stretched wide in front of me, welcoming me like a bear trap to enter his embrace. A deep sneer widened and grew across his face, causing the skin around his eyes to crinkle ever so slightly. As for the eyes themselves, they shone bright aqua and swirled with an untouchable hatred that threatened to sweep me away and rip my very essence from me.

For several seconds we stood on opposite ends of the hall, motionless and unbreathing. To me it felt like nearly and eternity, staring into those hopeless pupils that sat on the very edge of madness and toed the border. I couldn't think, I couldn't do anything except stare and watch and try to forget the words he had just spoken. My mind raced and tore through all the possibilities and screamed at me to just move. But I couldn't move. There was something far greater holding me back and absolutely preventing me from going to the insane boy who stood in front of me.

And even if I could, what would I do then? Was that what I'm afraid of? Could I really bring myself to take this boy in my arms as I had done Riku? Or would I crack and kill him, like I had so many other people? Despite all my senses screaming to move and go to the boy, something deep inside, some irrational feeling of absolute terror was holding me back and demanding that I stay in this spot until I could be sure of what I might do.

But the boy had no intention of waiting that long.

"Yea," he said quietly. His arms fell once again to his sides and his head drooped slightly, silver hair covering his hateful eyes. I felt my body relax slightly with the retreat of that terrible stare. "I should have fucking figured that one out." His shoulders shook slightly as laughter rippled through his body. "Even if you had come over here…it wouldn't have been because of me, would it?" His gaze returned to me, locking me in place again. "Just some more run-off emotions that come from the real me, that's all it would have been. Don't try and tell me otherwise. I know it's true. Everything I've ever had was just…borrowed from _him_."

With all of my strength, I fought through the crushing stare and suffocating hatred that the child was radiating. Finally I gained control of my voice and, carefully as I could, I began to speak. "Even…if that is true," I began.

"So you at least understand that much," the replica sneered angrily.

His words nearly caused me to stumble backward but I found my tongue and my balance and continued. "Even if that is true…it doesn't always need to be like that." My mind raced, deciding on my next words with careful consideration. One wrong step and I would be the catalyst to send the child careening across the border and into madness. "You don't always have to exist in his shadow. You don't have to be the false Riku for the rest of your life." I remembered Vexen's disgusting words. 'Hojo really outdid himself.' 'Hojo created a self-improving and even sentient being.' I knew what it was like to live in someone's shadow for my entire life.

"If you want to much to be your own person, then what good will it be to kill the real Riku?" I felt my fear gradually fall away as passion overtook me. "Even then, aren't you simply borrowing what would otherwise be his? Maybe borrowing isn't the word here though, is it? Aren't you just planning to steal away his future and keep it for yourself? Is that what you really want? I don't think it really is."

"Shut up," the boy turned his eyes downwards. His fingers shook slightly and then clenched tightly.

"If you want to be your own person then stop chasing Riku! If you want to be your own person then you have to become that, you can't take it from anyone else!" I stepped forward, flinging my arms out as my voice began to rise. "Don't fight against Riku, it isn't his fault that he is what he is, just as it isn't your fault that you are what you are. You're fight doesn't lie with him, if anything it lies within yourself. Stop running away from it. Stop blaming things on other people. If you want to be someone, why not try and be someone new?"

"_SHUT UP_!"

The boy's voice tore through the air, stopping me mid-speech and causing me to fall back, retracting my hard earned step. His shoulders were shaking violently and he couldn't seem to look upwards. I watched him as he stood, trembling with emotions. Suddenly, a single gleaming speck fell from his down turned face and splashed gently upon the white tile at his feet.

"Don't you think I've tried that?" His voice was small and scared. "Don't you think...that I realized that already?" He shuddered hysterically and one of his shaking fists flew out and smashed against the white doorframe behind him. Still speaking softly, he said, "Of course I did." His breath came short as he began to sob quietly. "And…do you really think…can you possibly believe…" For a moment, he stopped trembling and took a deep breath. In a flash, he raised his head, tears flinging themselves from his wet eyes as they stared into my own. He stepped forward and flung his arms out again and he opened his mouth and screamed.

"Can you possibly believe that I haven't _TRIED TO DO THAT ALREADY?_"

For the second time I was nearly hurled back by the force of his words. He stared at me with a mixture of fear, hatred and confusion swirling in his eyes. He shivered slightly before clenching his fists and wiping the tears from his streaming eyes. "Everything I do! Everything I am! I thought that…that maybe if I could just…get stronger and find someone that I could protect…maybe then I really would be someone new." Flashes of pitch black electricity began to rise all around him, crackling quietly. "I thought that maybe I wouldn't have to try so hard to be him because what the hell is the point? He already exists, what use is there for another when there already is one that fits the mold even better than I do?

"Well there isn't one! So I tried to get stronger, tried to get better, become smarter and kinder and protect someone of my own. But even then…even then it was just a feeling that I _thought _I had created. Just a fucking altered copy of the original's feelings. Everything I am is just a perverted version of what he always was." His upper lip slowly raised to form a terrible sneer that he aimed at me. "You never had to deal with that though, you were just created…you weren't actually a clone. I don't know why I thought you'd sympathize…we're really nothing alike."

I tried to say no, tried to tell him that that wasn't true and that I knew exactly what he was thinking and feeling…that I could help him even. If only he would listen to me. But that didn't really matter…because no words would come to my lips. They simply stuck, fastened to the back of my throat, suffocating me.

"Don't you think I would have searched after every other possibility before trying something like this? Hell if you had told me I was going to kill the real Riku some time ago, I would have laughed in your fucking face. But now…" He flexed his fingers experimentally and the joints hissed with dark lightning. "Now it seems like the only thing I can do." He paused for a moment, letting his gaze linger on his slowly stretching fingers before the cold and steely stare returned to me once again. "And I know what you want to say. 'killing him won't make you any more accepted,' right? Well I know that. I know that if I kill the real one, that's not going to be some kind of magical cure-all for becoming a real boy.

"But if it will help rid me of this…this fucking constant feeling of goddamned _perversion_…then that will all be worth it. Even for a second. If I can just…be free of that feeling for one second, I'd be able to die happily." He stepped forward again, and began to walk slowly, but with conviction toward me. His mouth slowly widened into a crazy smile that grinned up at me, daring me to do something, anything to stop him.

His steps crackled and sparked with lancing arcs of dark energy. He slowly approached me, picking up speed and still seeming to slow down as my own mind struggled to deal with the current situation. The boy drew nearer, hair slowly rising from the current of air that the whirled around him as his dark energy coalesced and flashed in contrast with the white tiles.

My mind raced and halted, mentally inflicting whiplash with each new jerk toward a newly half formed thought. Wasn't there anything I could do? Wasn't there anything I could say that could possibly reach him? Maybe Riku could handle the child on his own.

NO!

If I start thinking like that then how can I hope to think of myself as a decent person. And isn't that what I've been striving to become? But there wasn't anything I could do…wasn't a thing I could say or do to make things better for the slowly approaching boy.

And suddenly he wasn't approaching anymore. He stood right in front of me, hesitating and watching me with cautious eyes. For a split second he broke stride and paused, looking at me and waiting. In this moment before his foot touched the ground…this really was the one chance I could ever have.

But what the hell do I fucking do!

And before I even knew what I was doing, my face was buried into his shoulder, arms wrapped around his thin muscular waist. For a moment, the sparking flares of energy coursed through my body, singing it and making me tense with the unexpected assault. And then it disappeared. The boy went limp and fell into my embrace, willingly melting into my arms and returning the affection. His fingers buried themselves in my hair, grabbing on and threatening never to let go again.

I felt him thrust his face against my neck and I could feel the wetness begin to course down it and soak into the cloth at the base of my neck. Something hot and salty coursed slowly down my shoulders and flowed freely down my back and over the long scars of battles past. I pulled the boy closer and felt him shudder in a mixture of confusion and relief. Slowly, I ran a hand up the length of his spine and smoothed his silver hair against his head. Quietly I began to whisper encouragement into the child's ear.

"It's ok…it's alright." My voice seemed to calm the boy as his shivering slowed and his ragged breathing became more regular. "It's alright to cry…it's alright to let it all out. It's ok to be scared."

I didn't even know what I was saying anymore. Still unsure of what I was doing but sure that it was the right thing, I continued to speak to the shuddering child.

"It's alright…no one blames you anymore. No one blames you for what you were thinking of doing. It's not your fault." The boy nodded slightly into the comfort of my shoulder and sniffled slightly.

"It's not your fault. No one blames you anymore, Riku."

The boy stiffened in my arms and I felt his eyes open against the wet skin of my shoulder. Suddenly I felt a searing pain in my side and the child was torn from my grip. I flew across the width of the hall and smashed against a large white pillar, cracking the brilliant white stone. I felt something warm and sticky flowing from my left side and reached down to feel at the strange sensation. When I brought my hand away, it was covered in blood.

I glanced upward, feeling woozy and dazed. Through my hazy vision I saw something dark and sinister flashing and darkly flowing in a wild circle around a floating silver ball. The thing turned and I saw two glowing orbs of aqua that faded to dark blood red to black and then back to a brilliant aqua. The two orbs narrowed and below then, a dark hole opened up with a white outline.

"So that's how things are after all?" The voice was completely cold and saturated with contempt so palpable that I could nearly feel it crawl down my throat and tear at my lungs, stealing my breath. Through the intense aching, I shook my head and cleared my vision. With that clarification, my mind returned to me.

In front of me, the boy stood tall and menacing, encased in a whirling vortex of raw energy. On his chest, the symbol of Heartless glowed bright and terrible. His face was contorted in a look of rage and scorn. Around his eyes, tears evaporated and disappeared as he stared down at me.

"Even then…you still can't take the time to differentiate me from the real thing."

A large tentacle of bark purple energy lashed out and cut a sharp and painful line across my cheek. As it retracted, the boy spat at my feet and turned away to face the doorway at the end of the hall. Silently, he began to walk with grim purpose toward the doorway. As his feet mounted the first step, I found my tongue.

"WAIT!" I screamed, reaching out to the retreating figure. I felt a twinge of pain that seared up through my ribcage but ignored it. "WAIT! RIKU!"

The boy stiffened and the energy that surrounded him flared wildly.

"That…" his cold voice reverberated against the white stone tiles.

"Isn't…" All around him, the energy rose and fell, wildly in flux.

"MY NAME!"

Without turning around, the sphere of dark energy surrounding him broke loose and tore down the hallway, cresting and breaking as it came. It smashed against the walls and flowed forward, surging directly toward me. I sat, watching the oncoming wave of death with hollow eyes and closed my eyes.

Let him kill me, it's my own fault it turned out this way. I don't even care if I live anymore. At my side, Masamune shuddered, but I stayed it with a gentle hand.

"Just…let it be, Masamune."

The roaring wave of black energy swirled and formed faces that faded into nothingness as it drew within the final few feet to its target. Again, Masamune shook angrily but I simply let my hands fall to my side. I felt the heat of the approaching wall hit my face, bringing sweat to my face.

As I felt the tingling of electricity begin to caress my face, Masamune grew still for a second and then suddenly tore me from my kneeling position, pulling my into the air as it flew from its sheathe. My eyes flew open and I saw it grow bright with energy and then explode with light as it flashed in contrast with the wall of dark energy. For a moment, the wall of shadow surged against the growing blood red wall that emanated from the floating blade, and then it shattered, breaking into trillions of tiny shards of dark purple glass.

When the final ounce of darkness faded away, Masamune fell to the ground at my feet and lay still. At the far end of the hall, the boy stared intently at the door and dug into his pocket. From it, he pulled a small white card which he held up to the featureless doorway. As it opened and he stepped through, he turned slightly and stole a momentary glance that locked his eyes with my own. His lip raised in a deep sneer.

"Tch..."

And then he walked into the bright light before him.

Silently, I pulled myself to my feet and lifted Masamune from the ground. It shivered softly in my hand as if growling slightly. I patted the hilt and sheathed the blade. With curiosity, I glanced down at the throbbing pain in my side. There was a deep gouge and around the edges, the skin was seared like it had been burned away. It bled slowly but not profusely.

"Curaga," I whispered softly, dumping my MP into the wound and feeling the tissue knit itself together again. When I was satisfied with the condition of the wound, I brushed the specks of dried blood from the front of my clothing. From behind me, footsteps resonated from the doorway. Without turning, I said bitterly, "You're still here?"

"You can't save them all; you should know that by now." The red haired man passed by me and made his way to the stairs. Quietly I grunted in agreement and began to walk after Axel. "I'm sure the real Riku can handle him though…so don't worry too much."

"Don't worry?" I said in an incredulous tone. Axel slowed and came to a stop, sighing slightly. "Don't worry? You think I'm only concerned about Riku? What about the other boy? Why the _hell_ shouldn't I worry about him?" Axel shook his head and turned to look at me. "Why the fuck should either of them have to die if there is anything I can do to stop it!"

"You still don't understand," interrupted Axel. "We we're really hoping you wouldn't have to go through this all…but it's clear that that's the only hope you really have…isn't it?" he reached up and rubbed his temples slowly. "Whatever…I've gotta go see Zexy for a bit. I'll probably see you on the other side some time…good luck."

Axel walked up to the doorway and pressed his palm against the white wood. He turned around for a moment and smiled apologetically. Then he vanished in a flash of bright light.

I pondered waiting and standing on the top step, as I had so many times now, but instead I stepped forward, refusing to fall prey to doubt or questions. I raised the card that Zexion had given me high above my head and it flashed with the customary bright light that unlocked the door in front of me. Slowly, it creaked open and I stepped through again without hesitation, forging into the brightness. As the hall behind me faded into white again, I thought of Axel once again.

"'I'll see you on the other side,' huh?" I shook my head as my mind left my body. Why did that sound so cryptic?

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Whew…so I finally managed to sort of plan out the last few chapters in my head. Sorry it took so long. So let me tell you the deal before I forget. There will only be a few more chapters now, three or four. Five tops. So here's how it's gonna go down.

Making the assumption that Kingdom Hearts 2 really will come out on March 1st (last I heard anyway) I figure I'll give you guys a bit of a schedule…for those who interested. I plan to get a new chapter out every Friday. That way, come March, I'll have done those minimum three chapters and then you'll only need to wait like…a month tops until I'm done with my intense binge on Kingdom Hearts 2 and am ready to start writing about it. Odds are, I'm gonna be writing four more which already would lead into March.

As for your part in the whole process. I am going to freaking _need_ your reviews. I won't lie when I say that I have recently been going through some real difficulties…self confidence, girls and lack thereof, friends and lack thereof and schoolwork. Heh…suicide even managed to sneak it's way into my thought process…the tricky bastard…but don't worry, I'm far too terrified of pain to actually kill myself. And my life isn't _that bad_. I'm just having a rough spot. SO AS FOR YOUR PART IN THIS THING, you guys have to review to keep me going. Cause it's difficult. I mean…xsaturnine hasn't reviewed for probably a very good reason for the past two chapters and it's hit my like an emotional hammer to my cerebrum.

Oh, and if you can find the time, I'd appreciate it if you guys would check out the forums and help me out with a small dilemma I'm having with planning. I made a forum called "Sephiroth: and why not?" In the Kingdom Hearts section. The topic is fairly self explanatory. I mean…if you have time and feel like it, give it a look-see, I'd really like some input…otherwise I'll be forced to place the question in the next author's note.

In any case, this story is coming to a close soon and we'll be back in the real worlds soon enough. Get excited…cause that's when it gets exciting.


	18. Initiate

Hehe…prepare yourselves.

I disclaim just about everything…just in case. Characters, places, dialogue parts…all of it. And why not? It couldn't hurt.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 18

Initiate

"Stop the truck."

The driver looked away from the window for a moment and looked at me with curiosity.

"What?"

With a sigh, I placed a hand on the dashboard and pointed through the windshield and out into the darkness and torrential rain that pelted the glass.

"Stop the truck…or you'll hit it."

The driver turned his attention to the stormy scene beyond the glass. Enormous drops of rain pelted the windshield and made visibility nearly impossible. He squinted slightly, peering into the darkness. After a moment he shook his head and readjusted his glasses. He took another second to stare closely through the glass. Finally he shrugged and leaned back in his seat.

"No offense, sir, but I think you might be seeing-"

The rain halted and lightning flashed, illuminating the enormous dragon that stood in the middle of the road. It towered at nearly twenty feet and let it's thick, emerald scaled tail crash directly into our path.

"OH SHI-" The driver cursed and slammed on the brake as the front of the truck collided with the reptilian appendage. The vehicle jerked forward, sending the alarmed man careening forward. In a flash of movement, my arm shot out and caught the man by his face, preventing it from smashing into the steering wheel. I remained steadfast in my seat and quietly reached the passenger's door. As the latch came undone I heard the driver pant and pat himself all over, searching for telltale damage before realizing that there wasn't any.

The door opened and immediately I was drenched. Without a word to the now terrified driver, I stepped out into the rain and pulled Masamune, sheathe and all from its compartment on the ceiling of the vehicle. It came loose and I latched it onto my hip once again.

"A-are you going to actually fight that thing?" the driver asked in a frightened voice. Without turning, I closed the door behind me and swept saturated locks of silver from my eyes. My feet sunk several inches into the muddy road and the water began to soak into my boots.

From behind me, I heard a door open and close and two more feet hit the ground. They approached, moving easily through the muddy terrain before stopping behind my left shoulder.

"I take it the driver didn't listen?"

I nodded silently and began walking toward the towering dragon. It blinked menacingly and leaned down, stretching its neck forward and growling softly. I stepped forward again through the rain and mud, shaking Masamune loose and pulling it from its sheathe.

The sky once again exploded with lightning and Masamune's blade flashed with the reflection. The dragon caught the flaring light and reared upwards, it's two front legs leaving the ground and pawing madly at the air. It raised its face the sky and let loose an earsplitting roar that caused the displaced metal of the car behind me to quiver and screech with it.

With the ending of its cry, the dragon swiveled its neck to stare down at me with enormous beady eyes. A wide toothy grin split its face before it tore downward, fanged maw open and acid saliva streaming from the edges of its mouth. I glanced briefly at the blade in my hand and then shook my head slowly. Without a word, I reached into my pocket and removed a small marble.

"Quake 3."

My MP slipped through my fingers and made the small stone glow slightly. The dragon let loose another roar that echoed through the rain. Beneath my feet, something shuddered softly and then the mud in front of me flowed away to reveal pure stone. Enormous fangs flashed brightly, feet from my body and swiftly approaching.

And then the Earth burst upward in an enormous stone spire that ripped through the underside of the beasts jaw and shot through the skull, skewering the approaching creature in one moment. For a second, the dragon blinked in confusion before its eyes faded slightly and grew distanced and hazy. Finally, the hind legs of the beast spasmed and grew still, flopping uselessly to the ground.

I looked at the fallen beast for a moment and then sheathed Masamune. Dark grey blood oozed out of the newly formed hole in its neck, mixing and melting into the puddles of mud and rainwater that had formed on the ground. Without a word, I turned and wiped away some of the water that had been pooling around my eyes.

"You know…you wouldn't need to bother with these things if you let me drive," said the familiar voice from the truck.

"Inform the men that there wasn't any real problem." I made my way through the mud and back to the passenger's doorway, passing the hopeful man on the way. "And you can't drive, Zack."

Zack's shoulders drooped for a second and his head fell forward. "Aww…" Suddenly his head shot up and he leaned in close to stare at me through the rain. "Was that…" he began to circle around me through the mud slowly but with purpose. Like a shark, he darted in and looked me in the eye. "Was that a _joke_?"

"What?"

He drew back in mock horror and pointed at me with a trembling finger. "Did the great General of SOLDIER just make a _joke_?" He placed a hand on his chin and posed thoughtfully. "Cause it sounded like a joke to me," he said slyly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said with a sigh.

Zack raised an eyebrow and then let his arms fall to his sides, shoulder's rising in a half-shrug. He sighed and looked at me with a pained expression. "The bad thing about that is that you really don't, do you?"

What was he talking about? It didn't really matter though, if we planned to make the town by sunrise we had to get going now. "I gave you an order, Zack. Inform the men and get back in the truck, I'm not even sure why you came out here to begin with."

Zack grinned widely at me and then turned around to trudge exaggeratedly through the mud. Through the rain I heard him say, "Who knows when you'll need my backup, eh? I guess I only ended up wet though, didn't I?" What a talkative man. Quite a bother. I was about to reprimand him again to do his duty but he interrupted me. "I know, I know. 'I gave you an order.' Don't worry about it, I'm on my way. I'll see you in town, General."

The creaking of a door coupled with its slamming shut drew me to my senses again. What a bothersome man. But he did get his work done, and the men did like him. Bothersome…but useful. I shook my head, flinging drops of water to splash against the passenger's door.

After I had entered the vehicle and taken my seat again, I turned to the nervous driver. "Will the truck still run?" The jittery man glanced at me before returning his gaze to the steering wheel again. He stuttered for a moment before muttering something of an affirmative. "Well then let's go. The beast is lying across the road here. Drive around it, maybe twenty feet to the left. And be more careful next time."

Y-yes, sir."

The remainder of the rainy truck ride was quiet and tense. I could sense the driver's terror emanating from his body, made worse by his all too obvious glances in my direction. After several more hours, the rain let up and our target village came into view. It was a small, cozy looking place, much friendlier than Midgar ever could be. On the edge of the town loomed a large mansion, surrounded by a dark metal fence and an aura of something terrible.

Behind it all, the enormous mountain range exploded upward. Massive grey blue crags leapt with enthusiasm to stab at the sky above. They twisted and whirled in a vast portrait of nature vs. itself. And nestled in it, cradled by the fierce peaks, sat a single outpost of mankind. It rested, smug and secure in its little nook, unhindered by the distracted cliffs as they battled each other.

Beside me, the driver whistled a soft, impressed note. "Woo-ee…those are some big'uns, aren't they?"

His attempt to re-establish communication was met with my own disinterested silence. I had no curiosity to give these mountains, they were only obstacles to the object of the mission. We had to go and hire a guide to get us through them. I hate bringing civilians into military affairs but I had no voice in the matter, the President had made that clear.

After ten more minutes of driving, we pulled into the small town and everyone unloaded from the truck. I paid the driver his fee and then turned to survey the crew that had tagged along with me. There were five MPs, two of which had accompanied me before, and Zack, the second in command.

Why had I been assigned so many bodyguards?

I shook my head silently and turned, deciding to find the closest inn. With a flick of my wrist, Zack saluted and stepped forward, preparing to brief the men on the mission and what to do until then. As I turned the corner, I felt the stares come from all directions at once and the slow-building roar of whispers began to creep their way into my ears. For a moment, I paused and listened for Zack. He seemed to be wrapping up his speech.

"Alright guys! So we're not sure when we're moving out, we gotta wait for our tour guide, but be ready all the time. The base of operations is the local inn. Until you are called, feel free to disperse and loiter all you want. Just remember, you're representing Shinra here, so don't do anything your momma would frown at." A chorus of laughs rose up as well as some commentary about how, 'this ain't a field trip!' Zack's voice joined in the frivolity for a moment before he quieted the men down again. "I know, I know. Well that's it guys, you're dismissed," The men dispersed and I could hear their footsteps begin to approach the corner. "And welcome to Nibelheim, men!

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First of all, I'd like to apologize for the content of the chapter…I know it's not the absolutely most interesting thing ever. I had meant to go a lot further into the memory but I didn't because of two reasons.

One: I didn't want to write like…an eight page chapter.

Two: I am deathly ill right now.

I am sick, like…fever, sore throat, coughing, coughing up _stuff_. It's not fun. Fortunately, that didn't kick in until like Monday night and I had managed to get a headstart on the chapter over the weekend cause I was so pumped by all the reviews I got. I think I may be getting better…but who knows.

But I got the chapter out when I said I would and here it is, so all you would-be complainer?...you can say whatever you like I guess, it's a "free" country.

Oh, in response to all your worried reviews about my "brush with suicide," I think I need to explain it a little cause I was looking for sympathy back then and kinda made it sound worse than it really is. Let me relay my _exact thought process_. SO you can cease worrying.

"Aw man…I have nothing to do and nothing to look forward to today. But it's only six o clock in the afternoon. Should I just go to bed? Have tomorrow come quicker? Yea…I guess I'll just do that. Hmm….I wonder if things are going to get better in my life. Do I have anything to look forward to? I wish I could just go to sleep forever if I don't.

"………..

"Oh wait…that's _death_."

As you can see, it really did only, 'sneak in there.' I actually think it's pretty funny.

Ok…so I realized that I forgot to thank people for reviewing chapter 16. So all thank yous that will follow this sentence will apply to the people who reviewed on 16 as well. So I give thanks to Manders1953 (thanks for reviewing even though it's a technical hassle) Unita (even with work stuff) xsaturnine (glad you like Zexion…I'm afraid we won't get to see him again thanks to the actual storyline though, sorry) heartsoblivion (I don't see a purple button…could you direct me to it?) Chaos009 (I won't be returning your emails for a bit…I'm ill and can't function well) and Alphablades (I'm not sure why you didn't read Shadow Feather first…but I'm glad you're caught up now.)

So for all those of you who have played final fantasy 7 (all of you? I would think) and don't want to see my sephy getting emotionally battered again…sorry.

Hey, you know what I found out? The game store near my house is "getting a shipment" (cause KH2 is the most fickle game ever) of Kingdom hearts 2 on March 29th. Guess what else? That's my Birthday. Guess what I think. That I am the savior.

Just kidding. See you all next Friday.


	19. Mode: Trauma

So I'm an attention whore. I got the chappie done on Thursday and wanted to get reviews. Sue me.

I disclaim everything that I don't own. That should be good enough for you corporate losers eh?

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Angel Memories: Chapter 19

Mode: Trauma

(schizophrenia Remix)

The inn was a cozy place and cost next to nothing. Soon enough, I settled into the room I had been supplied and found the most defensible position. I tended not to sleep in beds, there was something dangerous about them. Clearly, if the enemy was lacking in intelligence and unprepared, but stealthy, the first target in a night raid would be the bed. Then, in spite of my own preparation, I would be dead before I could wake up. Sleeping in the corners always seemed to put my mind at rest. After listening for any type of conceivable danger, I soon fell into an uneasy sleep.

Somehow, my eyes were open again. Was I dreaming? I hadn't dreamed in years. Hojo would want to hear about this. Why does this feel like déjà vu? Very strange, but not my responsibility. If I worry about this, it might affect my performance on the mission. I'll just take in what I see and relay it to Hojo for his analysis.

Bright white room stretched out before me. In the center of it, a young girl sat and stared down intently at a book. Smooth blonde hair cascaded over one shoulder. A bead of sweat formed and began to roll gently down a pale cheek. It was halted by a finger, covered in a black glove. It reached out and wiped the droplet away.

"Thank you," said the girl.

Behind her, five tall figures wearing identical black robes stood, looking carefully on as the girl drew carefully on the page. The one furthest to the left retracted his hand from the girl's face and wiped it on its side.

"Not too worry, you're going to need any help you can get in any way." It was definitely a man's voice, but it was quiet and frightening, completely devoid of emotion and unbelievably cold. "According to what you said earlier, nothing terrible happens until they get into the reactor."

Is he talking about the mission? Something terrible? Hmph…dreams are just dreams, they don't really impact the real world, no matter how much Hojo and his crew look for comparisons. I shouldn't concern myself about these things, just remember and relay them to the people who really care. Even with my extensive training though, I found myself worrying slightly about this girl and her companions.

One of the hooded men leaned back and forth, trying to find the correct foot to lean on before speaking. "So…can you like _skip over_ some of the stuff?" His voice was high and musical. He tried to sound disinterested and calm but it was painfully obvious how anxious he was. "You know, to save energy or something like that."

Another cloaked figure looked up at the man who had just spoken and shook his head in disgust. "Demyx…that is the most ridiculous idea I have ever-"

He was cut off by the cold voice of the first speaker. "Can you do it? Is there a way to easily 'skip over' the time in between the trite periods to the trauma?" Beside him, the man who had been interrupted let out a strangled cough of annoyance and looked fiercely at the speaker. After a moment, he relented and grunted in agreement, returning his gaze to the young girl.

Her eyes, which had been trained carefully on the page in her lap, turned upwards to look at the face of the emotionless man that stood behind her. She gave a pained smile and nodded. "Yes, I could do that. Normally I would require another room to fast forward through a memory as long as this but…with all of you here, I can do it. And it will be easier than portraying the entire thing."

"Fantastic, anything to accomplish the objective."

The girl blinked and a single tear fell out of her sleepless eyes and cascaded down her pale cheek. "Is it really…" she began but soon shook her head. "No. It is necessary, I know that." She nodded emphatically and looked gravely around at the semicircle of hooded figures. "I'll need your assistance to speed through the section. As soon as he wakes up, lend me some of your energy and that should be enough."

"Whatever it takes," chorused the group behind her.

When I wake up? Why does this all feel so relevant to me? As my mind raced through the possibilities, the white room began to fade away. What _are_ they talking about? No. It's not my place to worry about this, such thinking will only get in the way of the mission, for now, I should simply wake up and hope the guide has made her way back to the town.

I opened my eyes.

A camera flashed and the young girl posed with Zack and myself. There weren't that many random encounters with the local monsters and they soon learned to stay away from our motley crew.

GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE IT CONSUMES YOU!

The bridge doesn't look terribly safe, but the girl, Tifa says that it will support us. Dammit, what an unprofessional thing to do. This will set us back hours. How rare it is to see a Mako fountain this day in age. Back on the path, excellent and there's the reactor. Finally, we're here.

I turned to the Zack and the men. "Alright, in spite of the…setbacks…we've reached the reactor more or less in one piece. According to intelligence, we don't know what's in here." I glanced around the group for a moment. Zack smiled and gave a surreptitious thumbs up. What was he doing that for? My gaze soon fell on Tifa. "You'll be required to stay out here. Shinra personnel only past the doorway."

"But…" she began to complain, scrunching up her shoulders and furrowing her brow.

"It is the _law_ and I will be forced to restrain you should you attempt to enter the facility.

The girl cringed and shuffled uncomfortably. Zack looked at me and then to Tifa. "Look, we can't go bending the rules for every pretty girl we meet, ok?"

Tifa looked up from the ground and nodded with a pouting expression. "Yea…I figured as much."

I didn't see what there was to discuss. The law is the law and can't be changed on a whim. If the girl wanted to see the inside of the reactor so badly, she should petition a change or start working for Shinra. Whining would get her no where. And speaking of no where, it was time to get to work.

"Zack and I will enter the facility and scout out the problem. Everyone else stand guard and provide back up should it be requested." Zack gave Tifa another sympathetic glance and then jogged past me and up the metal stairway. I watched him enter the facility, unsheathing his enormous sword as he went and throwing me a hasty salute. When the shadows of the interior had swallowed him, I turned back to the group in front of me. "Does everyone understand their responsibilities?"

All eyes turned to me and feet clapped together in salute. All hands raised and clapped against helmeted heads. "Yes sir!"

At least they were instructed in proper conduct. "Very well. Keep your radios on. Zack and I should be finished sooner than later." And with that, I turned and walked up the metal stairs and into the shadows of the reactor.

My eyes adjusted instantly to see Zack waiting on a platform below. To my left was a large ladder that seemed to be the only rational way of descending to the lower level. With a small sigh and a shrug, I pushed away from the walkway and onto the ladder. It shook slightly with my weigh and I couldn't help but remember having the same feeling when we had all gotten on that rope bridge earlier today. In spite of my worries, the rickety metal device held and I soon drew level with Zack.

"Any trouble?"

Zack looked at me for a moment and then shook his head. "Nope, the place seems deserted." He scratched his head and placed his sword upon his back again. "If you ask me, it's just another case of Mako spillage and running into a mountain spring somewhere. I don't see why you take these missions anymore. We can send the environmental team to take care of it." He shook his head and let his hand fall to his side. "They'd probably be more qualified even," he grumbled.

Why did he feel that it was necessary to converse on a mission? It only diverts your attention from possible dangers. Zack was one of the least professional members of SOLDIER that I had ever met. Although, he has never failed a mission.

"Let's head into the inner chamber and we'll see if there's anything abnormal," I said with a hint of my authority added in. Zack nodded and yawned, stretching his arms out wide and then shoving his hands in his pockets. I would have loved to give him a swift punch to the gut. The boy just doesn't know his place.

As we approached the enormous doorway, it slid open in true Shinra style. The doors parted and slid into the wall, hissing and giving off steam as they went. Beyond the doorway, the whole room seemed to glow a deep dark red, almost like blood. Not one for dramatic flare, I stepped over the threshold and walked to the base of the stairs.

All around me, in descending rows, sprouted enormous tanks. They bubbled and sat, full of terrible promises and cold metal and fluids. From their rears, large tubes extended backwards and twined together in a wild forest of bubbling liquid that extended up the stairway and into the walls. At the top of the stairs, a single door stood without window or handle. It did not glow or pulse or do anything out of the ordinary but something about that door drew me in and made my blood run hot in my veins. This room meant something, this room had something to do with _me_.

As I stared in awe and excitement at the scene before me, I felt a small itch at the base of my skull begin to grow slightly. My eyes roamed over the tanks for a moment as Zack stepped through the door behind me and drew up next to me. Even as I grew excited, something inside grew that I felt I couldn't recognize. Something I hadn't felt in decades. What an odd feeling, it nearly overwhelmed me and stopped my breath cold. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I couldn't think. Everything about me shut down except for this rushing and whirling torrent of emotions and the itch at the base of my skull. I needed to see what is in the tanks.

"What do you think all of these-" Zack began with a low voice.

Suddenly my head exploded and the itch grew into a vicious pounding and… "NO NO _NO_!" Not this place! Not now, not here, not with him! How could they bring this place back to me? "Zack! Get…"

A flash of blonde hair and shadowed hoods exploded into my mind. Zack turned to me with a worried expression and then blinked out of existence.

"_GET OUT!_"

I needed to see what was in these tanks. Zack turned to me with a forced smile. "What do you think all of these tanks are for?" He walked up to one and ran his hand across the cold metal surface, reaching up to just graze the bottom of the small window.

The feelings that had overwhelmed me receded and I stepped forward, walking slowly to a pod of my own. As I approached, I felt my stomach churn with excitement and that same unknown feeling. Again, the itch began to grow at the base of my skull until it became an incessant clashing against the walls of my mind.

With all of my strength, I hurled myself away from the tank, gasping for breath and clutching at my eyes. I can't look in there! I won't do this again. You can't fucking make me relive this one. As I stumbled backwards, I saw Zack, standing, frozen in time.

"Haha…things aren't quite going as planned, are they?" I laughed through my staggered breaths. All around me, the scenery wavered in response to my taunt and something flashed bright white.

"-all of these tanks are for?" Zack turned to me with a tight smile in place on his lips. His fingers ran over the cold metal surface as he looked at me. I didn't respond to the man's question and instead walked to the nearest pod. It loomed in front of me, ominous and dark. I saw a single bubble rise and disappear as it crossed the one window high on the front of the device.

Why was I so drawn to these capsules? With one hand, I placed my palm on the frigid metal. Something coursed through my skin, causing hairs to rise and my heart to skip a beat. What was this fascinating sensation that could cause me to actually pause in my endeavor?

"It's _fear_ you idiot!" The words fell from my lips before I knew what I was saying. I glanced at Zack who didn't seem to have noticed my outburst. The hand that I had placed on the pod flew to my mouth and I felt something pound inside my skull. This had never happened to me before…what was going-

The metal was frigid to the touch. I nearly withdrew my hand from the surface when I felt my palm tingle with something unknown to me. Across the stairway, Zack was tracing his fingertips across the capsule in awe. Silently, I reached upwards and gripped the small ledge that the single window provided.

"_YOU CAN'T MAKE ME DO THIS!"_

Without much effort, I pulled myself up the frozen pod and peered into the tiny portal at the top.

In a flash I kicked away and caught the railing behind me. Sweat was pouring from my forehead and I nearly vomited with the effort of maintaining control of my body.

"Namine! You little witch if you can hear me then I am begging you to stop this before I-"

Years of strength building made levering myself upwards simple enough. Soon I grew level with the window at the top of the pod. What I found inside nearly made me vomit on the spot. I fell backwards, stomach churning and mind aflame with doubts and questions.

"Sephiroth!" Zack pushed away from his own capsule and dashed over to me. "Are you alright?"

I felt my stomach convulse and bile rise in my throat. What…what are those things?

Zack looked at me and then to the tank in front of us. Without a word he closed the distance and jumped up to peer inside. His reaction was very contained and not nearly as sudden as mine. He lowered himself down and turned to me.

"So…this is probably what's been causing the 'outburst of brutal monsters' then." He looked thoughtfully down at me on the floor. "You know I thought you'd have a stronger stomach for these kinds of things."

Stronger stomach? Didn't he realize? Didn't he understand what these creatures were? A feeling of rage overtook me and brought me to my quivering legs. I stood and glared at the soldier. "Do you know what makes SOLDIER better at what they do than anything else?"

Zack looked at me for a moment and then shrugged noncommittally. "Well when the Turks go looking for candidates, they only pick the best of the best. Other than that, it's the way we are showered with minute doses of Mako to enhance our abilities I guess."

"Exactly…SOLDIER is a unit of superhumans, but they are all still humans." I felt the bile begin to rise in my throat again. "And do you understand what these things are?" I pointed to the pod behind Zack. He turned and glanced up at the window with a shudder before shaking his head.

"Their eyes, Zack." I muttered. "_THEIR EYES!_" In a flash I had unsheathed Masamune which quivered in my hand in response to my emotions. "These…these _things _were human once! _This_ is what Mako will do to you!"

Masmaune clattered to the ground. My knees buckled and everything froze in place once again. Zack paused midstep with an expression of terror on his face.

"DAMMIT!" I clutched my throbbing head and closed my eyes. "Why are you doing this?" I felt tears form and fall to the ground below. "_WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PROVE?_"

I unsheathed Masamune, my head swirling with a mixture of rage and confusion and the feeling that everything was inexplicably correct. "These…these _things_ were human once! _This _is what Mako will do to you!" Zack backed away in fear as I stumbled forward. With a arcing swing, Masamune flashed and tore into the pod in front of me. Metal gave way like butter under the assault and I swung again and again.

"I never felt human. I never felt like I belonged." What was I saying? Why was I saying these things. This is completely unprofessional to talk like this in front of a lower officer. But I didn't stop. "Even among SOLDIER I was always two steps ahead of everyone. Why? _WHY WAS I ALWAYS SO DIFFERENT!_" A dark red liquid began to spurt out from the gashes that I tore into the pods. It sprayed outwards, splashing against my clothing and soaking through to the skin.

"Am I like them? Was I just another…_creation_?" A laugh began to build inside me as I hacked at the pod. It grew louder and louder until it filled the chamber. "Is this it Gast? _IS THIS YOUR BIG FUCKING SECRET?_" I slashed once more at the pod in front of me, drawing a new line from which fluid burst forth. Then I stumbled away and let Masamune fall to the floor. Zack looked at me in terror and backed away down the stairs and stopped at the doorway. In front of me, the pod hissed with steam and something unhitched, causing the remaining liquid to pour out of a slowly widening crack in the pod's door.

As the pod door finally opened all the way and the steam had dissipated slightly, something let out a horrendous scream. It shook the tubes and wires and I felt it echo in my bowels. From the inside of the capsule, the beast stumbled forward on legs that had never walked before and fell to the ground, mutated flesh smacking against the metal walkway. It arched its back and howled again before it curled up into the fetal position, shivered once, and grew still again.

"Gast's big secret," I mumbled quietly. I leaned down and pressed my hand against the rapidly decaying tissue of the monstrosity. The skin gave way under the pressure of my fingers and melted as my body heat slowly spread over it. "I must say old man…I am _not_ impressed." I stood up, retrieving Masamune from the ground and placing it in its sheathe. "Although…I wonder what more you have hidden in that mansion of yours…let's take a look shall we?" An itch grew at the base of my skull and grew like a forest fire among the roots of my hair. "Let's see how impressive this all really is."

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Ok…so…I fear for my soul by putting this chapter up at all. I did some research and managed to (much to my horror) find out that my chronology and view of the things that went on in Nibelheim are tragically off base when it comes to details. The general chonology and events are sound…but the details like the fact that Sephiroth was in the back of the truck with everyone else slipped through my fingers. As a defense though, I am prepared to try and play it off as poetic license.

So I know there are a couple things that I got wrong, deal with it. And as for the fast forward thing? Did you _want_ to read about every single event that transpired? I didn't think so.

Thank yous go to Chaos009, I'll read the second chapter soon I promise, heartsoblivion, Vermillion Dragoness, I'm glad you like what you're reading, Manders1953, xsaturnine and Unita.

I don't have anything else to say other than I would love to get reviews on this chapter…cause I was a bit unsure about it cause it is so important and I hope I didn't screw it up.


	20. Red sin Spiral

Like some creepy thing with too many eyes and a bunch of slimy tentacles, I rise once again from the depths of fan fiction dot net.

Ok maybe it wasn't that long of a break but I have my apology down at the bottom for you.

I disclaim some things. Other things I claim. Can you figure out what? Go ahead and try, it's like a treasure hunt for lawyers. You can do it kids, just put your mind to it and anything is possible.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 20

Red sin Spiral

(artful redemption)

My eyes wavered and my gaze shook. For what felt like the longest time, sleep had not these burning eyelids shut. In front of me, gripped tightly by my tense fingers, a single paged filled my vision and shook slightly with my unsteady eyes. Or maybe it wasn't really my eyes at all. Were my arms quivering? I felt my legs give way and I fell backwards into the enormous leather sear behind me.

How long had I been in this basement? It felt like years, hundreds of years of constant searching and reading and never a single wink of sleep. What must the men be thinking? Surely they would have left by now. Zack would have taken care of that. But would he have stayed and waited? How long have I kept him waiting now?

No…that doesn't matter anymore. I've kept someone else waiting for far longer than he. Oh…how long has it been? How long have you been waiting for me now? Has it really been only these short few years I have been alive? Of course not. You've been waiting much longer than that. To be so patient…to of waited for so long…

I do apologize. That it took me so long to find you that is. Even you must have grown tired of waiting. You must be quite upset at me after all these years now. Do not be angry though, I would have come sooner if only I had know. They kept you from me, you know? All my life, everyone I knew has been lying to me…keeping me from you. Are they afraid? Were they afraid? Should the sons and daughters of traitors have need to fear you? Those who betrayed you…why should their children suffer that same terror?

I'm sorry…I still can't hear you clearly yet. Your words can not yet reach my weakened ears. Even so…I think I understand. The children need not fear for the sins of their parents. It is only for their own sins that they must fear your judgment. Is that what you are saying? Yes…I can tell…even if I can't hear your words yet…I can feel your approval.

Then they are all sinners…aren't they? Not a single person ever tried to give it back to you. No one ever made an attempt to bring you back. And worst of all, they lied to me and kept me from reaching you. Well don't worry anymore. I _did_ manage to find you after all. Despite all of their lies and deceit, I found you.

My palms, wet with perspiration from the excitement I was feeling, rose in front of me, holding the one sheet of paper that held all the answers I had ever wanted on it.

""…an organism that was apparently dead, was found in a 2000 year old geological stratum. Professor Gast named that organism, Jenova…X Year, X Month, X Day. Jenova confirmed to be an Ancient …X Year, X Month, X Day. Jenova Project approved. The use of Mako Reactor I approved for use…"

Jenova…Hojo had always talked about her. Their names are the same, aren't they? That can't be mere coincidence anymore. No…there was never any real doubt in my mind. You are Jenova. You are…

My own laughter ripped the silence in the basement into shreds. It exploded into the air and filled every atom of my body with a feeling so intense that I could hardly sit still. I felt stronger, I felt empowered and more able to do anything than ever before. Every inch of me was charged with energy and burning with a concentrated fervor that surpassed all other feelings I had ever experienced.

From the doorway to the library, I heard footsteps and the door slowly creaked open. Without turning I lowered my head and quieted myself to a small chuckle before casually tossing the paper onto the desk in front of me.

"What is a sinner such as yourself doing here at such a late hour?"

Zack shuffled uncomfortably by the doorway and scratched at the back of his head for a moment before responding. "A sinner like…?" he began to question but then shook his head and continued with his original purpose. "Well it's three in the morning and I thought I might check to make sure nothing happened to you."

He stopped, expecting me to respond but I remained silent. After several minutes he continued awkwardly. "I sent the men home but Cloud Strife stayed behind…it is his town you know. We're all worried that something terrible might have happened to you down here."

"Something terrible?" I stood up from my place at the desk and raised my cold palms to my face, pushing my silver locks over my shoulders until they cascaded down my back in a regular pattern. "Something…_terrible_…has happened?" I turned to face the boy who stood tensely by the doorway. "Is that what you assumed?"

For a moment it looked like he was going to speak but he closed his mouth and I continued unhindered. "Zack…something _wonderful_ has happened." I felt a smile crawl onto my lips and they parted to let my gleaming teeth shine through the dusty yellow light of the library. "I've finally found her, Zack."

"Found…Sephiroth who are you talking about?"

"You are really an ignorant sinner…aren't you?"

Zack paused and looked down at the ground silently. He seemed to be genuinely worried about the things I was saying. Well I suppose he should be.

"Sinner?" Zack looked at me with pleading eyes. He was so confused…so ignorant. Well why shouldn't I enlighten him? I am not so cruel as others to keep the truth from the ignorant.

"You ignorant sinner. I'll tell you. This was an itinerant race. They would migrate in, settle the Planet, then move on… At the end of their harsh, hard journey, they would find the Promised Land and supreme happiness. But, those who stopped their migrations built shelters and elected to lead an easier life. They took that which the Cetra and the planet had made without giving back one whit in return! Those are your ancestors."

Zack stepped forward with a pained expression, searching for sympathy from me. "Sephiroth…"

In spite of his pleads, I continued. The words fell easily from my lips as I repeated the contents of Gast's notes and added my own deductions to his theories.

"Long ago, disaster struck this planet. Your ancestors escaped… They survived because they hid. The Planet was saved by sacrificing the Cetra. After that, your ancestors continued to increase. Now all that's left of the Cetra is in these reports."

"But…what does this have to do with you?"

Can he really not understand yet? No…he was refusing to understand. He, like so many others are trying to keep me from understanding. Feigning ignorance so that I would agree and follow. Well I' not going to listen to people who do that anymore…it's kept me in the dark for far too long.

"Can't you see it? Can't you see what I am? 2000 years ago, an enormous meteor containing an Ancient named Jenova came crashing down upon the planet, forming the Northern Crater. When discovered, they began the Jenova project, an experiment to create people with the powers of the Ancients…no…the power of the Cetra…the power of Jenova." I felt the charge build again inside me as my scalp began to itch terribly. "And I am the one who was produced."

Zack's breathing faltered for a moment and he leaned against the wall for support. He looked frightened and confused. "Pr…produced?" he stuttered through his labored breathing.

I felt something whisper inside me, a request of sorts. Don't worry…I can understand you now. I have lingered here long enough…I am on my way. Quietly I left the large desk and began to walk down the book lined hall towards Zack and the doorway.

"Se…Sephiroth please…wait a minute. I…I don't understand." Zack stepped forward with a pleading expression and held out his hands in a weak gesture. Inside my head, a fire began to build that pounded along the inside of my skull and nearly caused me to stumble in my path toward the doorway. Suddenly, amongst the whispering voice and raging inferno, I heard something snap.

"Demyx!"

In front of me, in a white tiled room, five men surrounded a young girl with blonde hair. Suddenly, one of the cloaked men keeled over and fell to the ground. The girl yelped and turned only to have one of the larger men grab her and turn her toward the book in her hands.

"Focus on the task at hand!"

"But…"

"He won't die, don't worry about him."

The girl paused for a moment and then nodded with a grim expression. As she slowly guided her pen back to the paper, I felt myself pull together in a sudden rush.

"Namine!"

Her hand quivered for a second as it made its way toward the paper and I saw her bite her bottom lip.

"_STOP THIS! I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO BUT PLEASE! IF YOU HAVE ANY HUMANITY IN YOU I BEG YOU TO ST-_"

I drew level with Zack in the dusty library. He stood in front of me with a sorrowful expression of defiance.

"Please Sephiroth. I don't know what you're trying to do…" his voice cracked slightly and rose an octave before continuing. "But I beg you to stop!"

What kind words fell from such sinful lips. All it really amounts to is him trying to postpone my reunion with her. My reunion with…

"Out of my way. I'm going to see Mother."

And with that I pushed the door open and proceeded into the surgical room of the basement. Behind me I heard Zack's voice croak something I couldn't understand before a thump as he fell to his knees and began to sob loudly.

The air outside of the Mansion felt chilly and razor sharp. Beyond the black iron of the small gate, the small town of Nibelheim sat peacefully underneath the starry sky above. It was dark and silent. What is this town Mother? Is it a home? Or is it your prison? I don't think it's either of those, Mother. To me…this town looks like a lie. Does it pain you as it does me to look upon these houses and know that inside are dozens of sinners who lived so close to redemption…but never once attempted to find it?

_Should such a thing remain standing?_

Of course not mother…of course not.

"_NO!_" I tore my mind from my memory and fell, gasping and motionless to the cobblestone walk at my feet. "Get out of my head! You don't care about me! _YOU ARE NOTHING TO ME ANYMORE!_"

I stepped forward and felt a fire begin to rise inside me. A raging inferno of power swirled and grew inside me until it began to crackle and burn the place where I stood. Let me give you a gift mother…just one for all of the years I've spent away from you. Do you like the color red, mother?

_What a silly question. If it is of your making…I care not what color it is. Paint, my child. Paint, and let this sinful town be your first work of art. Paint here, and we shall make the entire Planet our canvas._

"Then let red be the medium. Let the streets run with the dark crimson of blood, let the houses burn with ruby flames, and let the sky turn scarlet with the coming of dawn!" Raising my right hand I pointed it at the nearest home. Power welled up inside my fist and then exploded outward in a burst of flame that tore away a section of the house and spat flares of light out in all directions, aiding to the conflagration.

"Wake up sinners, or else you'll miss the show."

The screams began within minutes of the first explosion. Soon the people were streaming out of swiftly burning houses in nothing but their night clothes. They gaped in terror at their blazing homes. This is what comes from settling and betraying the Cetra. This is what comes from creating a sinful town filled with lies and deceit.

Finally one man had the sense to run to the well although it was already too late to stop the burning. In a flash, all those who had reached for water were cut down by Masamune and I. The remaining crowd paused, shocked and horrified and then finally one women, one with spiky blonde hair and a long braid, screamed and turned to run. With a smile I dashed forward and flicked my wrist out, ripping through her delicate body and killing her instantly.

The crowd exploded into screams and wails. Almost as a single entity, the entire mob of people turned in unison. Then their synchronicity broke and the square was awash with chaos. Women abandoned their children in order to get ahead in the wild race to the exit and men pushed and shoved neighbors and friends to get by first.

"Despicable."

Raising my hand, I felt it fill with a roiling tide of brilliant energy. Above us all, dark ominous clouds formed and suddenly from above, a bright white flash exploded and bore down on the retreating mass within the blink of an eye. Flesh evaporated under the intense heat and all at once, the exodus was over and not a single sinner survived.

All around me, the houses burned slowly but with intense heat. Corpses littered the cobblestones and blood oozed into puddles that coursed through the cracks in the stone.

_A scene from hell…_

"Isn't it rather fitting though?"

_But of courses. If an angel wishes to become God, he must begin his journey in hell._

Suddenly I fell to my knees, clutching at my head and letting Masamune fall to the blood-soaked ground. I felt weak and helpless as I surveyed the brutal scene in front of me. Even though I'm viewing it all through these same Mako-ridden eyes, it looks so different now. So terrible…so pointless. Tears began to well up in my eyes and a single one grew large enough to drop and course down my face.

"Why…why are you doing this to me?"

"Sephiroth! Why are you doing this!"

I turned to see a man standing shakily by the well. He quivered and sweat poured from his face along with tears. His right hand looked badly burned and beyond repair. He gripped the stone of the well for support.

"Why are you doing this to us?"

I stepped forward, raising Masamune.

"Please! Stop this!"

Like lightning, I struck forward and cut a deep gash into the man's chest. He fell to the ground, gasping for air.

_He isn't dead._

He won't last another hour. Jenova remained silent. I stood amongst the roaring flames for several minutes before I heard approaching footsteps coming from the Shinra Mansion. I turned among the blood and fire and gazed contemptuously at the horrified Zack who stood by the black iron fence. Briefly, our eyes met and then I turned and walked through the flames and up the hill into the mountains.

The walk was short and painless, no monsters approached me and I knew the route by memory now. I passed through the cave with the Mako fountain but did not stop to look upon its beauty. Finally I crested the final hill between me and the reactor that held Jenova. The tower rose in front of me, ominous and bleak. It really did look like a prison, didn't it?

"Mother…I'm here now."

"_Sephiroth!_"

From behind me, a man came rushing up the hill, breathless and sweating. His eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and rage. When he had caught his breathe, he stared menacingly at me and pointed a finger toward my chest.

"How _dare _you destroy our home!" His voice was shaky but full of conviction. Tears fell from his eyes and he shook his head angrily, trying to clear it of doubts. "We thought you were a hero! We respected you! Sephiroth…I won't…I won't ever for-!"

His words were cut short as I pulled Masamune away from his chest, now covered in blood. He faltered and then fell backwards, blood spraying from his wounded chest and splashing onto the ground. He spasmed briefly in pain and began to desperately gasp for air.

Slowly I turned away from the dying man, preparing to sheathe Masamune. Before I could walk away though, I heard something strange.

"…you."

I pivoted on my heel silently and peered down at the man on the ground. He wasn't dead?

"What did you say, sinner?"

"I…I won't for…forgive you."

Won't forgive me? How delightful…the man believes that his opinion matters to me.

"It's not your place to pass judgment. I need not your _forgiveness_ or your good opinion. Only mother's judgment matters in the end." In my hand, Masamune quivered slightly. This sword…how long had we been together now? I glanced once more at the man on the ground, desperately gulping for air.

"It seems you're becoming dull, old friend."

Masamune shivered in surprise once before I let the weapon fall from my hand. It landed point down in the dirt and remained there, quivering angrily at my abandonment. What use is a sword that doesn't kill anymore?

The reactor doors opened with a hissing of steam that seemed to herald my arrival. Quitely I descended down the rickety ladder and walked slowly through the second door that led to the chamber which held the monstrosities. In front of me, the metal stairway rose amidst the red light.

"Is this the stairway to heaven, mother?"

_It is the stairway out of hell, my child_.

"That is good enough for now."

Each step echoed with a metallic clang that filled the room. Silence was prevalent everywhere until that metal tapping tore through it and bounced off the capsules that surrounded me. When I finally stood atop the final stair, I raised my head to gaze upon the door in front of me. The portal that led to mother stood before me. It felt as though by walking through this door, I would be shedding all the lies that had been pressed against me all this time.

"Mother, I'm here now…will you open the door for me?"

There was a hissing of steam that resonated through the room, but the doorway did not open. Behind me I heard footsteps and suddenly another voice rang through the silent room.

"How could you do this to all of us?" A familiar female voice echoed through the room. She sounded very much like the man I had left to die. "How could you kill papa and all the townspeople? How could you destroy our home?"

"Mother…it seems as though someone wishes to speak to me…I do hope you can wait a moment."

The girl choked down a sob before letting out a scream of rage. I heard her dashing wildly up the stairs. She had something in her hands, the way the wind rushed by her was different. When she was close, I heard the familiar sound of sword metal whistling through the air.

My hand shot out, grabbing Masamune by the hilt and lifting the girl from the ground. She dangled helplessly in front of me, tears streaking down her face. I smiled slightly and wrenched Masamune from her hands.

"_STOP IT!_" Time stopped and Tifa halted mid-fall. I crashed backwards against the door to Jenova. I was shaking all over, my fingers itched to cut into the helpless girl. "Stop it…" My voice shook with the effort of maintaining my body and mind. "Jenova…Namine…" Bile began to rise in my throat while Masamune shook violently in my limp hand.

"_GET OUT OF MY HEAD!_"

With a burst of strength, I flipped Masamune around my wrist and placed the tip of the blade against the bottom of my chin. Closing my eyes I tightened my grip and thrust upward.

Tifa was caught in the middle of her fall by my left hand which thrust into her abdomen, throwing her back several feet. As she flew backwards I whipped Masamune out, ripping through the flesh of her chest and drawing a bright red line across it. She fell backwards and then hit the stairs, rolling and tumbling like a rag doll down the metal steps.

In my hand, Masamune shuddered indignantly but I silenced it by placing the blade back in its sheathe. I turned away from the half dead girl at the bottom of the stairs and faced the doorway that led to Mother.

"She won't be bothering us now. Will you open the door, mother?"

_Of course._

_I'm REALLY sorry it took so long_! Geez…it's been nearly a month now since I updated. Ok…so I want to apologize to everyone that I went on an unofficial unannounced hiatus. So here' what went down that kept me from writing ok?

So schoolwork exploded in my face and blinded me and kept me from doing anything productive with my time except homework and studying because my chemistry teacher is an awful teacher that doesn't teach. As a result I have a 66 average in his class and my parents freaked out, so I freaked out and started studying like crazy in his class. That didn't help cause I still got a 59 on his next test and I missed a lot of homeworks in my other classes cause I was focusing on chemistry so much. Not to mention I have a new girlfriend who I love very much and want to be around a lot so my weekends haven't been open for writing. Also I have work Tuesday through Thursday until 7, giving me 12 hours a day when I am not home.

Sorry…I had to put it out there. Care if you want or condemn me, it's up to you and I can handle either. As a result though, I put a lot of effort into this chapter and I think that I have some really good dialogue between Jenova and Sephiroth going on…like…I impressed myself with it. Sorry…I shouldn't be bragging after a month break.

So I'm dropping what I said earlier about updating on Fridays. From here on out, it's gonna be really sporadic cause im under a lot of stress from a lot of different angles so I don't have it in me to stick deadlines on this.

I had actually wanted to conclude the entirety of the nibelheim memory in this chapter but that would have been a couple more pages and I wanted to get this out tonight, its already twice as long as usual.

So thank you to everyone for being so patient and as for reviews…I thank Chaos009, Unita, Heartsoblivion, xsaturnine and raging phoenix for reviewing me back on chapter 19. You guys rock, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will spare a review for this stressed out slacker over here. I am not worthy or your greatness!


	21. Incompatible Heroism

Blarg here it is im on the phone and tired so im typing with one hand hooray!

I disclaim enough things not to be sued. Meaning all the things that are not mine.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 21

Incompatible Heroism

(walking the fine line)

Steam billowed out and around my ankles as the doors slid open without sound. Gradually, a wall of smoke reached out and wrapped itself around me like vice, drawing me forward into the white abyss. My skin felt chilly and moist from the cloud that surrounded me. Without hesitation, I stepped further into the slowly disappearing mist. For a single instant, it felt as though I was stepping off the face of the planet and would fall forever in the white fog.

Then the steam dispersed and I found myself staring upwards toward salvation. I stood on a metal precipice looking out over a deep hole. The room, I realized was a great shaft that seemed to stretch down into the center of the planet. All around me, in stark contrast to the previous room, a deep blue light pulsed from the ceiling and slowly faded to an aquamarine as it went further and further downwards.

Hundreds of bright chrome pipes sprouted from the walls and crisscrossed constantly as they made their way up or down the shaft. At the end of the ledge in front of me, what looked like a large root extended forward, like a path, to a single platform in the very center of the shaft. The dark brown path was covered in something that resembled scales, but something about it seemed very stable and welcoming.

_Why do you hesitate, my child?_

"Isn't it grand?" My eye's flickered over the enormous room and downwards to the sea of lifestream below. After a moment, they came to rest on the large statue that stood on the platform in the very center. "This prison they built for you…isn't it grand, mother?" I stepped forward, my heels tapping against the cold metal floor as I walked toward the statue and then off the platform onto the scaled path.

"To think that the sinners of yore would go to such great lengths to keep it all from you." With one last step, my feet came to rest on the final platform at the end of the scaled path. "To think that they would build such a magnificent place in your honor, only to imprison you inside it."

_But you are here now. This place is no longer a prison, simply a place of beginnings. What do you propose we do, my child?_

From the door behind me, an explosion echoed and footsteps began to mount the stairs leading to the platform. Without turning I unsheathed Masamune and thrust it into the ground at my feet.

"Mother…let's go to the promised land. Let's take back the planet together."

"_SEPHIROTH!_"

_It seems we have lingered here too long._

"Mother, this one has come again."

"Why did you kill everyone in the village!"

"Those useless people…"

"Why did you hurt Tifa?"

_Quite the interruption._

"_ANSWER ME SEPHIROTH!_"

His ultimatum echoed through the room, bouncing against the metal walls and pipes and amplifying itself over and over again until it began to hurt my ears. When the sound had faded away, I felt something begin to build inside me. As it grew, I leaned forward and placed my hands on the face of the statue in front of me.

And I began to laugh.

My laughter filled the room and could nearly fill tears come to my eyes from the sheer delight of my current situation. Finally the boy had made I joke I could understand. After years of attempts, he had finally succeeded in making me laugh. How absurd it would be to answer his questions now. What need does he have to know why I destroyed the village? He would never understand anyway. And yet he asked? Truly laughable.

"She should have become ruler of this planet," I said when my mirth had finally receded. "With her wisdom and kindness, she could have led you all to salvation." The metal of the statue was cold on my bare hands. Gently, I tightened my grip on its face. "But those people…those people tore the world from her hands!"

My muscles tensed and grew as I pulled backwards. Sparks flew as electrical cords snapped and broke and then finally, I threw the disgraceful figurine to the floor. It crashed against the metal and then fell off the side of the platform and down into the lifestream below.

"Mother…"

_So good to see you, my child._

Suddenly, a flash of metal flew forward and came to rest at my right shoulder. Glancing briefly to my right, I caught a glimpse of my own Mako eyes in the reflection of the enormous Buster Sword.

"Isn't she beautiful?" I asked. "Don't you think so, Zack?"

"Shut up." Zack's voice sounded hard and sharp, so different than his usual light hearted tone. "Sephiroth…don't think that I can forgive you."

_So full of jokes, isn't he?_

I let out a low chuckle before lowering my head once again.

"What do I have to be forgiven for?" Zack sneered audibly from behind me at my comment. "I'm not the sinner here…" I felt something begin to itch and then build until it felt as though my scalp were on fire.

"_YOU ARE!_"

My hand flashed to Masamune and wrenched it from the ground. In a single fluid motion I whipped it around my body and lashed out at Zack. Steel clashed against steel and Zack, seemingly unprepared for my attack, was lifted off his feet and thrown across the room to crash into a large pipe. In a second, he had caught his footing and launched himself at me again. Silently, I smiled and lowered Masamune in preparation for his attack.

And then time stopped. My legs shook and gave way under my own weight and I felt as though I could barely hold Masamune. "Mother…what..?"

"Namine!" Finally I tore my mind back from the grip of the memory. With an intense strain, I lifted myself to my feet again and stumbled backwards against the large tank. Masamune felt heavy and clumsy in my hands which shook with the effort of holding it. "Please…why are you making me do this? It doesn't make any sense."

_Look around you._

"Jenova?" I glanced behind me at the tank that held Jenova. "No…Namine?"

_Yes. Now please, look around you, then you might understand._

"Why are you?" Suddenly some of the tension that held my body so rigid was released and I stepped away from the tank. It took a moment to steady myself but dinally I found my balance and looked around the room.

Zack was suspended in mid air a mere three feet from where I stood. His hair was drawn back from the rushing of wind past his face and his sword was upraised and ready to strike down on me where I had stood moments ago. His teeth were bared in something of a growl and a sneer of anger.

"His eyes…"

His eyes shone bright with Mako and in that frozen instant, were filled with rage and hatred. Those eyes showed no mercy and would give no quarter to their opponent. Those were the eyes of someone who meant to kill. Meant to kill…me.

_If I let you play out this memory as you see fit, you will certainly die. If you were to fight this man without the intent to kill, he would kill you first._

"But…"

_Not all people can be saved, Sephiroth. You weren't born a hero. Stop trying to be one. If you continue, you will die._

Masamune flew forward and connected with the Buster Sword. The clash echoed through the shaft and we came face to face for a moment. Zack's breathing was light and deep, like members of SOLDIER were taught to breath during battle to conserve energy. His muscles strained against my own as he pushed forward, trying to drive me into submission.

Something was different now. My body was moving independently, making all the moves it should have…but I felt detached and out of place inside of it. I wasn't telling myself to do all these things. I felt…like I was observing.

"Sephiroth!" Zack's face contorted in anguish. "Tell me…what happened to you?"

Is he so foolish as to think it matters? Doesn't he realize that he is simply another obstacle in between mother and me? Does he think that he will live to think on whatever I tell him? He will die here and be the first sacrifice toward mother!

Why can I hear my own thoughts? Why can I see all these things? Namine…what are you doing?

Zack broke away from me and whirled in a full circle, bringing his massive blade around and straight toward my chest. I saw the gleam of the blade as the blue light glared off of it. In a flash, before my mind could even process what to do, I ducked under the oncoming slash and thrust my fist outwards, catching Zack in the abdomen and sending him flying across the shaft again where he caught himself just in time to land on his feet against a large pipe.

And before I realized what I was doing, I had closed the distance between us and Masamune was already snaking its way forward like a silver blur. In an instant, it had dug into Zack's chest, burying deep inside and stopping at the hilt. I drew my face close to his as he screamed in pain and whispered a single sentence to my former comrade.

"We're taking it back."

Zack's eyes, which had been rolling with pain a moment ago, widened suddenly with a burst of rage. His pupils grew small and they flashed a brief shade of rage before being overcome with aquamarine once again. His arm tensed and his sword flew from his side, whipping upwards at my skull.

"Tch…" I ducked the blow easily and then wound back with my free hand, delivering a crushing blow to Zack's chest, knocking him through the wall and off of Masamune. He shot back and eventually came to a smashing stop against a large tank in the previous room which cracked and spewed red liquid in all directions.

I…couldn't even keep up with my moves. Is this what being a hero does to people? Watching myself fight like that made me wonder, have my senses really dimmed so much as I began to care for other people than myself? Have I been getting weaker all this time? Dammit…is this what you are trying to prove?

My body turned from the hole in the wall and faced Jenova's tank once again. In several steps, I was standing in front of the glass, my eyes staring fixedly up at the horrendous creature inside. A single glowing purple eye shone through the murky green liquid inside the tank. I leaned forward and placed my forehead against the glass, caressing it with my fingers at the same time.

"They're gone now, mother."

_What an excellent job you've done._

"It's just the two of us now. The two of us…and a world full of sinners."

_Come, let us take it back now._

"Of course, mother."

_**SHNNK**_

Pain. My body glanced downwards to find the tip of the Buster Sword stabbing through my abdomen and cracking the glass in front of me. My memory's mind was being flooded with frantic ideas and trying desperately to understand what had happened.

"Give them back," a young voice from behind me spoke up. "Mother, Tifa, Zack…my village…" The voice sounded as though it was close to tears, even a single sob fell through the words and caught in the speaker's throat. "I used…I used to admire you…but what are you now?"

The point of the sword retracted from my stomach and my knees buckled, sending me to the ground and making me fall limp against the cold glass of the tank. My fingers bent and strained against the glass, trying to grip something and stop my body from keeling over. My memory's mind was screaming that it refused to die here and that it would avenge Jenova and bring the planet under her control once again; however, I paid it no attention.

He had left me to die.

That single thought kept running through my own mind, consuming it entirely and letting nothing else slip through. He, _Cloud_, hero of heroes, had stabbed me from behind and left me to die. And for what reason? He wasn't protecting anyone. He wanted revenge. He wanted some kind of compensation for the people he had lost by my blade. What righteousness is there in revenge? He's no hero. Cloud wasn't always a hero…he was just an angry boy.

But if he's not a hero…then who is? What am I doing? What am I aspiring to be? What…what the hell am I trying to accomplish? I nearly died trying to play hero. Fuck…I nearly killed myself playing hero.

My body finally pulled itself together and as my hand covered my gaping wound in my stomach, I felt the blood slide through my fingers and warm my palms. With my free hand I gripped Masamune and drew it backwards.

"Mother…"

The blade rushed forward, shattering the glass in front of it and severing the head of Jenova. Shards of glass blew outward and onto the floor, followed by a rushing waterfall of murky green water. It splashed across my feet and I sheathed Masamune quickly and caught Jenova's head before it fell. Gripping the head by its pale blue hair, I brought it close to my face and placed my forehead against the metal plate that served for Jenova's brow.

"Let's go now, mother. It's about time you saw the Planet again with your own eyes."

And what of this? What of this Sephiroth of memories? Was this the answer? Severe and heartless…not caring for anyone but my objective? No. This lumbering tool of others is not the answer either. Then what? What am I supposed to become?

My unsteady steps brought me back into the red room. I stumbled through the doorway, decapitated head in one hand, and Masamune's quivering hilt in the other. My vision was blurred and hazy but I could clearly make out Cloud standing at the bottom of the staircase, dropping into fighting stance and brandishing the Buster Sword. Beside him, lay the barely conscious figure of Tifa.

Suddenly, he let out a feral scream and launched himself up the stairway. His boots clanked loudly against the metal steps and the sound mixed with his scream and caused a cacophony of noise to rise and echo in the chamber around me. His eyes were flaring with rage and wet with tears.

He still wanted to kill me. He would rather kill me than let me leave them all. There wasn't even any purpose behind it. He wasn't killing me so I wouldn't hurt anymore people. He was killing me to see me die. He wanted to see me fall to the ground and stop breathing. He wanted me to bleed because somehow that would make the deaths of those close to him easier to bear.

Is this what you really are Cloud? Is this why you pursue me even to this day; to hunt me down and make Aerith's death easier to bear? Is this what heroes are? Machines for revenge? Well I won't have any part of it then.

"Sinner…"

Cloud…

The blade of the Buster Sword rose and began to arc toward me as Cloud leapt off the final step and rocketed toward me.

"Don't think…"

I won't die…

The enormous blade slowed as it neared me, thrusting forward and trying to rip into my chest.

My mouth opened, the memory preparing to scream. I remembered the words exactly. "That you'll beat me again." But I wasn't planning to play by the book now. I'd had enough of that. I focused my mind on my body and surroundings and with a single wrenching tug of my mind, I pulled my body from Namine's grip.

"_I'm not going to die for someone else's sake!_"

In a single, time splitting movement, I whipped Masamune forward in a wide arc and knocked the Buster Sword from Cloud's hands. The giant sword tomahawked across the room and imbedded itself in the far wall up to the cross guard. With minimal effort, I redirected the flow of power and twisted Masamune around and then drove it through Cloud's chest, piercing his lung burying my blade into his flesh until the hilt thumped against his shirt.

"I'm no tool for anyone. I'll work within my own limits. I'll defeat those who seek to harm me. I'll kill those who thirst for my death. I'll protect who I can, when I can and only if I don't risk my own demise from it. I'm tired of being hurt by things and I'm tired of being a weapon. I'm done searching for a place to die in and a cause to die for. I'm not an experiment, I'm not evil, I'm not a hero, I'm Sephiroth and I am tired of searching for a meaning behind that name. I want to live, and I don't want to be hurt anymore. I don't care if you think that's cruel or selfish…I want to protect _me_. And if you…Ansem, Zexion, Namine or even Riku want to get in my way…I will not hesitate to bring any of you down."

I'm done. Show me the door Namine. I know how the rest of this memory goes and I'm no longer interested. Did you get what you wanted? If not then that's a damn shame because I am through with memories and little games in the hallways.

_Yes, we got what we wanted. Alright, I'll show you the door._

Light exploded directly in front of me, erasing the suspended Cloud from his place on Masamune and disintegrating the rest of the room with it. Masamune became light in my hands and I moved it away from the bright white of the newly formed doorway. The pain in my stomach disappeared along with the wound that Cloud had inflicted.

Let's see what happens now everyone. You've got what you wanted…I'd like to see what you do with it all. I suppose I'll find out soon enough. And with that I stepped into the glowing doorway. As the world faded away I heard her voice one last time.

_You'll understand it all, once you see the other side._

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Ok, so as I said above, I'm on the phone and tired. I'm not sure I like this chapter so much because Sephiroth's epiphany feels a bit lacking in substance. If you're leaving reviews, tell me what you think about how well I did with making seph see the middle ground.

So I'm too tired to thank individuals, but thanks to those who reviewed.

Have a good night everyone, hope you enjoy, I'm going to bed.


	22. Pieces

Once again, I deliver. I really am sorry that the updates are like…so non existent. I would try harder but I have been overwhelmed and can never really find any time to work on it all. So I apologize but won't promise to get any better. I'm sort of doing poorly in the academic world so that kinda comes first. In any case, here's your chapter and I hope you enjoy it and that it is worth it after the long wait.

I disclaim enough not to be sued. If you wanna claim it instead, feel free to, but I'm not taking the blame.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 22

Pieces

(welcome to existence)

Light surrounded me, warming my body. I felt the remnants of my memory being stripped away from my mind and body while I floated through the pure white space. Then, once again, the world began to form around me. From a pure white nothingness, white marble walls began to outline themselves. Finally, my feet tapped lightly on ground once more and I stood in the familiar hallway of Castle Oblivion.

"And that's how I tracked you down." A high pitched voice piped up from the other end of the hall. Standing on the platform opposite from me, were Mickey and Riku. Mickey reached out with a closed fist and then opened his fingers above Riku's own outstretched hand. A single piece of paper fell out and drifted slowly into Riku's welcoming palm. "I guess the card thought it belonged to you."

The card glided down and finally stopped in Riku's hand. He paused for a moment, looking down at the card in his hand and then looked up at Mickey. A wide smile split his face and he clenched his fingers together around the small piece of paper. "Maybe you're right."

The door beside the pair cracked open with a shudder, paused, and then flew open entirely. Sparkling light exploded outward and engulfed Riku. After a few seconds, the door closed again and I found Mickey looking up at the door with his hands on his hips.

"Why didn't you follow him?" I stepped forward and began to cross the large hallway. Mickey looked startled when he turned around and gaped when he saw me.

"You're alive!" The mouse shook his head violently to clear away the shock and then nodded decisively. "I shoulda known that you would have been though. You're one tough cookie after all."

"I suppose I am" I mused. "So why didn't you follow him in?"

Mickey sighed and sat down on the top step of the platform. One of his white gloved hands reached up and he began to absently play with his enormous right ear. "That's his place. I don't belong there with him. He's got some growing up to do…and I'd only be in the way."

"You're fond of him."

"Yup, and so are you."

"Yea."

We paused for a long time, comfortable in our silence. I reached the stairs and ascended them, stopping finally at the doorway itself. Mickey didn't turn around but let out a loud sigh.

"You seem like you've aged a bit to." He let out a wry laugh. "Gained a grey hair or two." I heard him turn to look back at me. "There's something very different about you, something…more stable is the best way to describe it, I guess."

More stable…I guess the king was right. I felt sturdier. I felt stronger and more resolved. "Yea. A little girl helped show me who I am."

"A little girl…" Mickey's voice trailed off into silence.

For a long time, I faced the door, back to back with the king. I wondered what was behind the final door and what Riku was doing that was so important. Mickey seemed confident as well as knowledgeable on the matter and finally I gave in to my curiosity.

"What _is_ Riku doing?" I said steadily.

"Meeting with Ansem."

Something inside my stomach lurched but was quickly put to rest by my mind. "You don't seem all that worried."

"Why should I be?" The king turned to me with a questioning look on his round face. "He's more or less on our side anyway."

Ansem is…on our side? "Could have fooled me, you know, after he tried to kill all three of us before we came here."

Mickey furrowed his brow and crossed his arms in thought. He murmured something that sounded like what I had just said and then turned his eyes toward me once again. "You mean _him_?" he shook his head slowly. "That's not Ansem, he's just a Heartless who goes around telling people that he's Ansem."

This was quite a development. Ansem is not Ansem. Things really aren't how they appear to be, are they? I ran my hand through my hair and chuckled quietly. "Well, I won't interfere with his meeting, but I have my own appointment to keep." I glanced upward to the door in front of me. "I've been told to visit the other side. Maybe we'll meet again."

"Sure we will!" The king's high pitched voice pierced the atmosphere and nearly made me turn around in surprise. He sounded earnest and full of energy. "We'll all meet again and have a big party together." He grew quieter and looked wistfully at the ceiling. "That's a promise."

With my right hand, I reached out and gripped the door in front of me. Silently, I pulled it open and stepped through. "Whatever."

The light engulfed me and I felt it fill my body entirely. Something different was happening. I felt stranger than I had all those other times I had stepped through the doors. My consciousness did not split from my body but instead felt as though it was being pulled in many directions. My mind was burning and I tried to scream but I couldn't because my heart had jumped into my throat. I could feel it beating, almost trying to escape. The pain was unbearable. It reminded me of something that seemed like a memory from another life.

It felt like someone was stealing my heart.

With a final shuddering gasp, I felt the beating organ inside burst and I saw two beams of light explode out from somewhere on my body. They rocketed through the nothingness and quickly disappeared in the distance. I reached forward helplessly tried to catch them although they were already gone. Along the line of the horizon, I saw color form and change and mix and then begin to soar toward me.

The approaching maelstrom of color hurtled toward me like a train. As it neared I could feel myself drifting into a state of unconsciousness. With my last ounce of energy, I raised my arms and held them out in a desperate attempt to stop the oncoming wall of scenery.

The colors washed over me and stripped away my pain. As though I had jumped from a great height, my legs stopped on the stone floor and shook with the effort of remaining upright. I stumbled for a moment before I caught myself and took a deep breath. I felt heavier. Something was different about my legs…

Glancing downwards, my eyes came to rest on feathers. Two large wings protruded from my waist and toward the ground below. They both looked like the one that already exploded out from my right shoulder. All around me, dark city buildings grew out of the ground at the edge of the shadowed streets. The enormous structure's towered overhead, nearly blocking out the sky above. The sky itself was mainly barren with the exception of a very small number of stars and a peaceful glow that emanated from somewhere beyond a row of skyscrapers to my left.

"Where…?" My voice trailed off as I heard footsteps from around the corner. It seemed as though the owner of the feet was limping and dragging himself along very slowly. Taking care not to make any noise, I ducked quickly into a narrow passage between two walls, heavily shadowed and unnoticeable except for those who were looking.

Across the square, a figure stumbled past the corner of the wall, gripping it tightly but soon losing its hold as its momentum carried it forward and too its knees. It sank heavily to the ground and coughed loudly, body seeming to be racked with pain. With a shudder and a shake of its head, it stood up slowly.

As the figure straightened, it became clearer what it was. At full height, the dim light lit the body of a naked woman, thin and sinewy. Her body looked as though it had trained for years to achieve perfect balance between muscle and sinew. In short, she looked like the embodiment of combat. Short silver hair, barely reaching her shoulders fell gently off her head and over her eyes. For a moment, she looked up at the sky.

Then there was a cough.

From the opposite side of the square, another naked figure stumbled forward and into the dim half-light. This one was a man and gradually shuddered with the strain of standing but managed it after a moment. His hair too was a bright silver, very much like my own although short, barely reaching his eyes in the front and nearly nonexistent as it traveled down the back of his neck. He was well built, though slightly more muscular than the woman and a few centimeters taller. His eyes shone a bright aqua in the gloom and a feeling of wisdom permeated the air around him.

The two pairs of eyes met and stood silent and still for a long time, watching each other carefully. I found that I was holding my breath. Something about them seemed very familiar, although I couldn't pin what it was.

A flash of light shook me from my reverie and made me blink to avoid the bright white. The flare left me with spots on the back of my eyelids and as they opened and my gaze cleared, I saw that the woman was now holding something. The slender fingers of her right hand were clenched tightly around the pearl white handle of what appeared to be a large warhammer. The woman's eyes drifted downwards and fell softly upon the weapon. She looked interested and thoughtful, as though she didn't know where it had come from. Her hand tensed experimentally and then grew lax, letting the large hammer bob rhythmically. There was a certain air about her that made it clear how attached she was to her weapon, almost like it was a part of her.

At the base of the hilt, a small, dark red line of light formed and twisted, like an animal up the length of the hammer until it stopped in the middle of the head. The small red blob stretched as though yawning and then contorted into a strange symbol. The red shape hissed and steam rose from it before it flared briefly and dimmed. Though the light disappeared, the design remained, etched into the pearly surface of the hammer.

Though I didn't recognize the symbol, something told me that it could be read, like a letter. More than that even, that _I_ could read it. I squinted my eyes to see more clearly in the half light. The image came into focus and then something inside my head clicked.

"Binah," the woman said solemnly. She nodded with a grim expression, lowered the weapon to grip it with both hands, and then launched herself forward. The stone street cracked with the sudden movement and sparks exploded from where the hammer's head hit the ground as the woman dashed toward the man at the end of the square.

My eyes shifted to the man who stood calmly, breathing in the mist that surrounded him. Quietly, he stepped back slightly, shifting into a different stance and raised his hands in front of his face. He was holding something as well. I had been paying so much attention to the woman that I hadn't notice this man's weapons being created. In each hand he held a large tonfa, curved slightly and also a strange off-white that gleamed in the half light. At the tip of each one, identical symbols were etched into the surface. I stared intently at them until my brain sorted out what it meant.

Chokhmah.

Why could I figure that out? The design wasn't in any language I knew. I had no way of cross referencing it with any other written languages to figure it out…and yet…I knew what it meant. Something just made sense about it and there was no need to question why. It just made sense.

The woman was now hurtling across the square. The distance was increasingly becoming meaningless as she neared the man. It was clear that she meant to kill him, as to why though, I couldn't tell. Her speed was incredible and she moved so fluidly, almost like water. Her strides were long and fast, not a single movement wasted with each step. When she was within striking range, she dipped lower and threw her weight into her shoulders, whipping her arms forward and tearing black tiles from the ground with the hammer. The man shifted back a half step and whirled his tonfa around his arms, raising one to deflect the oncoming hammer and striking forward with the other toward the woman's face.

There was a small snap that echoed softly through the empty air. A man appeared out of nowhere in-between the two rushing combatants. One hand flashed out, almost faster than I could see and grabbed one of the man's moving tonfas. Then, his other hand followed and with two movements that blurred into one, flicked the remaining tonfa out of the man's other hand and grabbed rightly onto his wrist. Without pausing or even looking down, he lifted his right leg and stomped down on the rising hammer. The large weapon stopped short and then crashed into and through the surface of the street, creating a large crater.

For a split second, the three figures stood, completely still in the mist. Their bodies were frozen in the perfect picture of struggle while the middle figure slowly opened his eyes. The eyelids gently parted and immediately, a bright aqua color flared out. Somehow, the man's eyes managed to momentarily brighten the entire plaza and I felt like he could see every inch of me, despite how hidden I was. His chest dipped and then puffed outward slowly as he took a deep breath.

Suddenly, the entire square burst into motion. The two naked combatants stumbled forward, carried on by their own momentum and the man in the middle stepped to the side, moving like the air itself. His hands blurred as they shot out and grabbed a hand of each of the warriors. He shifted slightly and then threw them both to the ground directly next to each other. They both hit with a fleshy thump and before they could even struggle to get up again, the man above them thrust a long blade between their heads, a hair's breadth away from each of their noses. The tip of the blade split the stone of the street and buried itself neatly into the pavement, like it was cutting through water.

The two prostrate figures stiffened and the woman clenched her fists in anger, but other than that, they remained completely still. Their eyes both rested on the blade directly in front of them and hardly blinked while they lay there. Above them, the man breathed in once again and shook his head slightly. He was tall, broad shouldered and had long silver hair, it looked very much like my own. He wore a loose white shirt with long sleeves. The entire thing was covered in swirling dark red designs and in the middle of it all was a large symbol, similar to the two that I had seen on the other's weapons.

And his weapon…

Masamune shuddered slightly in what seemed like recognition and respect. The man's sword was a long katana, like Masamune. The hilt guard was shaped strangely and looked very much like the symbol on the owner's back. The whole blade appeared to be nearly four feet long, although some of it was hidden in the ground where he had thrust it. What did the symbol mean? I searched my mind but at best could only find a very fuzzy patch that I couldn't quite make out.

The man interrupted my thoughts when he let out a loud sigh and pulled his blade from the ground. With complete silence, he sheathed the sword and stepped away from the two bodies on the ground. "I am Keter."

When he said his name, another bell rang inside me and the symbol on his crossguard and the one on his back both made sense. Keter and Muramasa. Masamune quivered with excitement as the second name echoed through my mind.

"Congratulations on escaping Beri'ah." The man and the woman both reached their feet and stood, looking suspiciously at Keter. "Welcome," he nodded to the two, "Chokhmah, Binah." He smiled widely. "Welcome…to Yetzirah."

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Remember that plot I always talked about? Remember that bitching thing I was always talking about? Remember how psyched I was about all the stuff I was planning? Well this is where it begins. For those of you who can't figure out who these new people are, I won't tell you, but I _would_ suggest that everyone who hasn't done so already (I know I have) should do a little research on where the name Sephiroth comes from. It's fairly interesting and then maybe you'll get some of my allusions about air and water, or at least where the names Keter, Chokhmah, and Binah come from.

I do worry a little bit that I'm getting a bit too much into mythology and symbolism and stuff with these new guys and that it might go over a lot of people's heads as I continue. I also worry a _lot_ about adding my own new characters and major plot twist. I totally need your opinions on all this. With any luck, you'll give them to me…I know you might not want to what with all the time I've been taking off recently.

Oh yea…

**_100 REVIEWS!_** ALRIGHT! I have been longing for this for the longest time. And now I finally reached it. I want to thank everyone…so I will. Thank you Unita, Lapse – Raevn, heartsoblivion, vratix, emmy19, xsaturnine, someone100001, anime warrior girl, chaos009, Raging Phoenix, Manders 1953, Anagram X, Unrealistic, Alphablades, and Vermillion Dragoness for all of your help. I love you all very much and totally appreciate everything you've done.

In any case, I'm nearly done with this story, maybe two more chapters or so, but it might take me a while before I can really get it all done. Don't expect too much in terms of being on time and efficient. Have a good one everybody. Hope you enjoyed the read.


	23. Connections

Disclaimer: Figure it out yourself. I don't own anything you own. If you own it, odds are that I don't. It's not hard.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 23

Connections

(paths)

"Yetzirah…"

The naked woman whispered the word quietly and then looked around. Her bright eyes shone through the mist as they lit over my hiding place momentarily before moving on to survey the remaining buildings. Beside her, the other man quietly massaged his wrist and stared thoughtfully at the ground. Keter waited patiently for the woman to finish her inspection.

"This is Yetzirah?" she finally asked when she had had her fill of the scenery.

"No," Keter said with a shake of his head. He stepped forward and reached out with his right hand, extending a finger forward and pressing it gently against her forehead. "That, is Yetzirah."

The woman stepped back and swatted the finger away, gently rubbing her forehead. She scowled slightly before speaking again. "What do you mean by, 'that'?"

Keter nodded without a word and spread his arms wide. "This feeling. This existence." He lowered his head and pointed at both of the naked figures. "These bodies. All of these are what make up Yetzirah. It is not the world around us, but our place in it. Even if you don't understand what it means, don't you recognize the word itself?"

Silently, the man and woman both nodded.

"That is because we all strive to reach this plane. Without achieving our place here, we have no hope of reaching our goal." Keter smiled slightly and tilted his head. "Do you know where that is?"

The square remained silent. My own mind was racing as I watched the motionless forms in the mist. I recognized the term Yetzirah as well. The knowledge of what it was seemed to come from the same collective pool of information as my understanding of the symbols that adorned the weapons of the mysterious people. What was their goal? Why…did I feel like I already knew? That place that they were talking about…was the name of that place…

"Asiyah." All the heads turned to the large man who stood, staring thoughtfully at the ground. The muscled man shook his head. "We search for Asiyah. But it's not just a place. We can not simply get there."

Beside him, the woman's eyes widened for a moment, as though she were remembering something. "We must achieve it. Just as we escaped Beri'ah…it was not a matter of movement, but of will." She glanced downward at her slender hands and slowly clenched them into fists. "We created these bodies through will alone."

"I see you are beginning to remember." Keter tapped the side of his head and grinned slightly. "Everything I have come to understand since I escaped Beri'ah, you will soon come to learn. These bodies were created by will. Do you remember it? Do you remember what it felt like to drift in Beri'ah? It must have hurt you as well; to be connected by a thread to that light.

"But you escaped. You two together managed to leave that place and crafted these bodies through sheer will. I too have been through exactly the same journey of will that you have. Now we all stand here, created, but not complete." He shook his head slowly. "Do you know who you are yet?"

It took a moment but then the woman nodded slowly and said, "Binah…that's…my name, isn't it?" Keter nodded slowly and turned expectantly to the other man.

"Chokhmah." He blinked slowly. "That's what you called me before…and…I know that that is my name." He paused for a moment in thought before speaking again. "And you are Keter." He shook his head. "And that's more than a name…" He paused again. "I don't know what the meaning is yet. I don't remember."

Keter placed a hand on Chokhmah's shoulder gently and smiled. "Don't worry; it will all come to you in time. I've been around for over a year now, and I still haven't received all of the information."

Binah looked up from where she had been staring and looked at Keter with a pained expression. "It must have been difficult, not knowing who you were, and having nobody to show you the way."

Keter nodded slightly. "That's why it is so important to me to teach you everything. The more you know, the closer we all become."

"And the closer we get to Asiyah," Chokhmah muttered quietly.

They stood in silence for a long time. The three of them stood still, mist washing over their bodies. All around them, dark buildings with neon lights gradually lit up the square. At my side, Masamune shivered excitedly, silently pulling me toward the exit of the alley. I steadied the weapon with my hand but it shook in protest. It was longing for something. What do you want? Why are you causing so much of a fuss all of a sudden.

_fight_

Oh? It had been ages since Masamune had last spoken to me. I had forgotten the first time. It was in the Nibelheim reactor. Shortly after Cloud had been skewered by me on the stairway, I had thrown him to the ground. Lying there on the metal precipice, Cloud was breathing short heavy breaths. I had raised Masamune and was about to kill him when Masamune had shaken violently.

_won't_

That was all it had said. I had ignored it at the time, but now that I remembered it, it was saying that it refused to kill Cloud. Masamune was rejecting me as its wielder. It was the only time Masmaune had ever used words before. Normally, the blade conveyed its feelings through shivers or vibrations with much more clarity than one would expect.

Masamune's voice, if that was what it could be called, was shaking with excitement and seemed to be completely focused on its request. It shivered slightly. Look there, it was telling me. My eyes followed the gentle flow of emotions that streamed from the blade at my waist. Slowly, my eyes came to rest on Keter, and then they moved down his body to finally halt at the long sword at his own waist.

Come to think of it…what feelings has Masmaune ever really shown? If annoyance could be called an emotion then I suppose it had. Other than that though, Masamune had never shown concern or any sort of excitement. Every interaction with the blade had been purely business. It wanted me to wield it simply because I was the strongest that it knew. I wanted Masamune because it is the strongest blade I have ever encountered. The times it had protected my life had all been for itself. Without me, it no longer had a wielder. It really was a symbiotic relationship. Purely business. But now…

_i want to fight with her_

What? An entire sentence? Not only that but with nouns. Masamune had referred to itself by "_i_." Could it be developing a sense of self? And it wanted to fight with "_her_." Old friend, what interest do you have in Binah? And why…do I feel like that isn't who you are talking about?

Suddenly, the silent figure that was Keter opened his eyes wide and looked down at his hip. It was barely visible through the dark mist, but his sword was definitely moving slightly. It could very well have been a trick of my own eyes, but it seemed to be shaking slightly. Keter placed a pale hand on the hilt and closed his eyes again. They all stood that way for a long time, silent and unmoving.

_now_

Before I could question what was happening, the square suddenly burst into motion. All three people split from their meeting and rocketed outwards. Keter tore straight toward my dark alleyway. My mind fluttered in confusion for a second and then settled as Keter finished drawing his blade. My own hand flashed to Masamune who leapt eagerly into my waiting fingers with no hesitation. Just as the tip of my blade left the scabbard, Keter made his first attack.

There was a soft tearing sound and something inside my gut made my knees crumple. Millimeters above my falling head, the air flashed a tiny white line and separated for a moment. Then the two levels of gas reattached and produced a tremendous crashing noise that threatened to leave me deaf. My eyes watered from the noise but I caught myself and stood back up, brandishing Masamune. I looked back out to the square.

Keter was standing quietly, Muramasa held steadily at his side. Behind him, the large warhammer and pair of tonfa that had been dropped earlier flashed and disappeared. At the edges of the alley's opening, a dim light glowed for a moment. The sound of metal tapping stone echoed like a single ripple in a pond. Then, from both sides, the tall buildings shattered completely. A fine dark grey dust hovered for a split second and then was blown away completely. While most of the buildings had been blown away, a short section still remained on both sides, cut perfectly parallel to the ground at about the height of my neck. Chokhmah and Binah both stood with the tips of their weapons hovering slightly above the completely flat cut away section of stone.

"Him?" Binah said with curiosity.

"Muramasa would not lie," replied Keter.

Unsure of what they were talking about, I stepped out from the remains of the alley and out into the square. Masamune shook excitedly as my movement caused Muramasa's blade to gleam in the half-light. These were not simple opponents. These three could really kill me. They all seemed to be just about on my own level. Impressive certainly.

"What do you want?" I asked finally.

Keter smiled widely. "I thought it would be difficult to find you."

"What do you want?" I said, ignoring his cryptic statement.

"To open the paths. To find the pieces. And…" the blade in his hand dipped slightly. "To put them all back together again!"

Before he could move, I launched myself across the short distance and lashed out with Masamune. Keter's blade deftly slid up and caught my own, halting its progression and bringing us face to face. The two swords rattled slightly against one another.

"It seems they are enjoying this," Keter grunted under the strain of my assault.

To speak in the middle of a deadlock meant weakness. Stepping diagonally across my body, I ducked and allowed Keter to come forward slightly. Then, using his own momentum, I whirled around and thrust Muramasa away from my own blade. Keter fell forward but just as I brought Masamune down on his exposed back, he leapt forward, somersaulting, caught his footing and launched himself back at me with twice the strength.

We exchanged strikes, blow for blow, parrying and dodging, searching desperately for an opening in the other's guard. In a desperate maneuver, I stepped backward and cut upwards, holding Masamune with one hand. Keter dodged the cut easily and reared back for a moment before launching forward with a thrust aimed to my heart. As the blade flashed, inches from my chest, my free hand flashed upwards and tapped forcefully on the flat side of the approaching sword.

Keter's strike went wild but he couldn't stop himself in the middle of his attack. Above my head, I flipped Masamune over one of my fingers and began to bring it down on Keter's vulnerable head. From behind me, I caught a blur of pearl white and pink flesh coloring. Without hesitating, I ran my finger down the rest of Keter's sword and thrust my open palm into his jaw, sending him arcing backwards. Masamune, which was already in a downward path, flipped once more as I shifted my weight and thrust it out at the approaching object.

Masamune shuddered for a second as it met the head of Binah's hammer. She pushed hard against my defense and knocked my backwards. In her small victory, she let down her guard and I gradually turned my stumble into a controlled retreat which she foolishly followed. She thrust forward with her hammer and before she realized what I had done, I ducked the oncoming attack and buried my fist into her abdomen. She flew backwards and hit the ground with a crash. Checking to make sure Keter was still recovering; I pursued the still tumbling figure that was Binah. When I drew level with her, I raised Masamune high and then thrust downward at her throat.

In a flurry of movement, two whirling pearl shapes flew into site from my left. The first knocked Masamune from its intended path, sending it straight into the ground beside Binah's throat. The second one whipped under me and shot upwards, catching me on the jaw and sending me somersaulting into the air. For a second, I felt helpless, my body wouldn't obey its commands and in the air, I was weightless and without power. Then, I managed to get under control and establish something of a calm within my mind.

But that was soon interrupted. Something heavy and blunt caught my spine and pain shot straight into my brain. Blood rose in my mouth and I couldn't tell which way I was falling anymore. I hit a surface, though I couldn't tell what kind it was, and ricocheted off before something else connected with my body. This one was softer, but spared no effort in making up for it in the force of the blow. It connected and drove me into another hard surface, thrusting me against it and driving the wind from my lungs.

My head was swimming. My eyes were open but spotted with white and black. I couldn't sort colors and shapes and the result was a very strange picture. A blurry oval of white and silver hovered above me. Some of the silver moved and seemed to get further away, if only slightly. The figure made some strange sounds I couldn't understand although it sounded like talking.

Then everything turned bright white. For a moment, I thought my vision was still too impaired to understand but as my peripherals focused, I realized that there really was a bright light directly over me.

"No…" A small voice to my left gasped quietly. I turned to see Chokhmah trembling slightly and sweating a lot. His two weapons fell from his hands and clashed against the floor. His eyes were wide and frightened.

"Ah…ah…" Binah was standing further to my left. She was staring fixedly at the area above me and clutching violently at her head. She fell to her knees and curled into the fetal position. "_AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!_"

Her scream ripped into my senses and seemed to loosen something in the shivering man next to her. Chokhmah collapsed and began to scream incoherently as well. In front of me, Keter was slowly backing away from the glowing white light. He too was wide eyed with terror. His legs were unsteady but he shook his head and pointed at the pulsating orb of light.

"This…this can't be here! We escaped!" He took another shaky step backward. "We should be free of this. _This shouldn't be here_!" He dropped to one knee and clutched at his eyes. "_I'm done looking at you! Go away! STOP IT!_" Then he too fell into a series of uncontrolled screams and incoherent sentences.

From inside the light, a figure appeared. It was a little girl in a white dress. She stepped gingerly out of the portal and brushed back a stray piece of blonde hair. Silently, she extended her hand. When I didn't take it, she spoke.

"Take it!"

Her voice was high and sweet. Her eyes were dark and tired with rings under them. In a moment, I everything snapped together in my hazy head.

"Namine?"

The girl only thrust her hand out with more conviction. "We _have_ to go. _Now_!"

With that final demanding word, I felt compelled to do as she said. My hand reached up and caught hers and she pulled me to my feet and into the light. Much like the doors, the light began to surround and fill me. Behind me, the dark misty world began to disappear. The last thing I saw was a petrified Keter on his knees staring into the white glow.

"Bring them back…don't take them back to the…Ain…Soph…."

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Alright! So I just bought Advent children and saw it for the first time. I had hoped it would be a source of motivation but it turned out to make me really depressed because I can _never_ ever describe a battle as intense as the ones in that wonderful wonderful movie.

Ah…such bliss…

SO here's the new chapter. I'm glad to hear that you people like the jewish mysticism im throwing in now. I'm very skeptical about using new characters all of a sudden. And not only that…but making them up? That's nuts! OCs in my story? Well lets hope they work out ok…and that we can get them all clothed in time. Sorry but I think that if someone is just created…why would they have clothing as well? Just logistics.

Thank you so much to Raging Phoenix, Unita, Chaos009 (awesome cosplay btw…I'll write you an email about it some time. Been busy…sorry!) Lapse – Raevn, Shokz (glad you like it! Good to have you onboard) shadowwolf21, vermilliondragoness, heartsoblivion, and xsaturnine for all the reviews after my long absence. You guys rock socks. Even striped ones.

Can't promise that the next chapter will be out so soon. Please don't shoot me with lightning.


	24. Cracks

Well here it is, the explanations you have been waiting for. Everything seems to have come together nicely. This is the second to last chapter. Meaning that Chapter 25 will be the last chapter. Isn't that nostalgic.

Er…for those of you who haven't played kingdom hearts 2…this chapter has some heavy reference to spoilers. So…watch out.

See other chapters for disclaimers.

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Angel Memories: Chapter 24

Cracks

(enigma Deux)

Within moments, the cocoon of light that surrounded Namine and I dissipated and I stumbled forward slightly, as though we had been moving very fast. My whole body ached from the fight with Keter and the others. With a shaky hand, I wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of my mouth and turned around. Namine was standing several feet away, watching me carefully.

"It's nice to finally meet you," she said shyly. Her pale cheeks were slightly red, almost like she was embarrassed.

"It's…" I was shocked. It was nice? She had put me through hell over and over again, and now she was pleased to meet me? What am I supposed to say to that? With a wince, I placed my hand against my spine and closed my eyes. "Curaga," I whispered. The green glow lit the outside of my eyelids and made colors dance inside my mind. I felt the warmth of the magic course through my body and heal my various fractures and cuts.  
The spell provided to be a very good distraction from the murderous feelings that I was harboring for this young girl. When I opened my eyes again, she was still standing there quietly with her hands crossed behind her back. It looked like she was expecting something of me, but what was I supposed to say. Where can I even begin? Should I scream for the pain she made me go through? Should I thank her for saving me just then? I also had so many questions for her. How am I expected to even say anything when there was just so much?

"Who…were they?" I asked dumbly. It was better to begin with something that had just happened. Yes…better to deal with the immediate than the past.

"Them?" Namine's head lowered slightly. She sounded disappointed in herself. "I'm…we're…still not sure yet." She twisted her foot against the ground uncomfortably. "They're like me…no…they're more like Roxas I guess."

"Roxas? And…what do you mean by 'like you'?" Just my luck for a question to spawn more questions. I really wasn't in the mood for this.

Namine gave me a curious stare. "You…don't know what I am? Or…what we are?"

And who is this "we." Why was this girl such an enigma? It was infuriating really. "No," I sighed. "No I don't. Please…just assume I know nothing." Namine smiled a small smile and motioned for a chair by a table. She quietly walked toward it and took a seat. I paused and then followed silently.

"We are 'Nobodies.'"

There was that term again. That first man had said the same thing, and then Zexion as well. What does that even mean?

"Nobodies are what happen when Heartless are formed. The Heart is taken from the body but the soul and body are left behind. What happens to them? They turn into Nobodies, beings with no Heart." Namine absently raised a pale hand to her chest and pressed silently on her breast. "Normally, the Nobody is a mindless creature that attacks indiscriminately, searching for its heart, which is of course, already gone."

Searching for something you can never obtain. I new that activity well enough. It was sad really.

"But sometimes, the person who has lost their Heart has a strong enough will to remain conscious. The body and soul split off and recreate the mind. That is how Nobodies like Axel and Zexion are formed."

Axel is one as well? Well they all wear the same uniform. I suppose it's required to be a Nobody to be in this organization.

"But so far, there have been three exceptions to the Nobody formula." She leaned forward and picked up a small notebook and flipped to a blank page. For a few seconds, she drew quickly but calmly. When she finished, she handed me the book. On the page was now a rough sketch of Sora and another boy about his age. The other boy had blonde spiky hair and wore the same leather coat as Axel and the others.

"Sora had his Heart taken from him. His Nobody was formed. Roxas." She smiled fondly for a moment and blushed slightly. I was slightly taken aback. When did Sora loose his Heart? I remember that he didn't seem any different when I was fighting him. "But after Sora was changed into a Heartless, he regained his Heart through his own inner light. Roxas had already been created though, so now there were two souls and bodies of Sora." She motioned with her hand and took her notebook back. "He is the first exception."

Again, her pencil met the paper and she drew for a minute or so, quietly sketching what I assumed to be the next exception. For the second time, she stopped drawing and offered me the book. This time, there was a picture of her and another girl that looked familiar to me.

"Kairi lost her Heart for a long time. She, however, is a Princess of Heart and doesn't contain an ounce of Darkness in her Heart. Her Heart took refuge with Sora. I was formed, but there was never any Heartless. Kairi regained her Heart as well. We are the second exception."

She pulled her book from my hands once again and put pen to paper. After perhaps two minutes, she handed me the book. There was a crude image of me with my three wings, and to my right were the three figures of Keter, Binah, and Chokhmah.

"Me?" I asked quietly.

Namine nodded. "Yes. You lost your Heart once, in the world switch. It never left your sight though and you pulled it back through sheer force of will, do you remember?"

"I do…but…how would you know that?"

Namine tapped her head with her index finger. "I can look into your memories, it's a gift of mine." She smiled a painful smile, and then continued. "Do you remember how you did it? How you took your Heart back from the Heartless that stole it from you?"

My mind flashed back to the moment I had retrieved my Heart. "I used the last of my strength to stand up again…and then…I just…had it." Why was it so hard to think of how I had done it? "I had…a burst of strength…and a…_hunger_ to get my Heart back."

"That burst of strength," Namine said quietly. "That burst of strength was not your own. That strength and that hunger, as you called it, to get your Heart back came from Keter. His consciousness was formed as soon as the Heart left the body and before he could leave you completely, he saw an opportunity to get what all Nobodies search for, their original Hearts.

"Keter took control of your body and retrieved your Heart, but when it entered your body again, you became strong enough to overwhelm his weak existence. He faded back into a low level of consciousness that rested inside you, clutching desperately to a part of your Heart.

"The bond between you and him was so fragile, it wouldn't take much to tear him from you. When that Heartless left a little scratch on your right shoulder when you were traveling with Hades, that was enough to allow Keter to break free of you and take that little scrap of Heart with him. He formed far away on the World that Never Was with no idea where, or who he was.

"When Keter tore that scrap of Heart from you, it left marks, tiny invisible cracks in what remains of your Heart. Each crack resonated with the others, forming bonds and ties without any sentience to call their own. It was when Xehanort pierced your Heart and turned you fully into a Heartless that those cracks evolved into something more. They all gained a consciousness of their own, much like Keter did.

"When King Mickey restored your Heart, those various consciousnesses were bound to you once again. However, that binding will not hold forever. All of the awarenesses inside you are working to tear down the wall and break free of you like Keter did. When I took that gamble and used my power to send you to the World that Never Was, the sudden proximity with the first one to break free, Keter, paved the way for others. Chokhmah and Binah were the ones that escaped at that time. They too, stole small pieces of your Heart from you.

"I can't yet tell how many of these things are still inside you waiting to get out. Keter made it sound as though there were others. We can safely assume that there are at least two more. Even so, the Organization is threatened by these new Nobodies in such close proximity to their base. Keter was an issue all by himself. When he stormed the Organization castle, Xemnas couldn't keep him out by himself and had to summon Saix, Lexaeus, and Marluxia to subdue him. Even with all four of them, the best they could do was to banish him from the castle.

"When Xemnas learned that there could eventually be more like him, he wanted to destroy you, but Vexen convinced him to let you live in order to see what could be done. He wanted to use you to destroy Keter and then kill you as well. When they found out that you had appeared in Castle Oblivion, Xemnas decided to use this time to train you, eradicating your weaknesses and returning you to a state more capable of defeating Keter. Unfortunately for him, things did not go entirely as planned and he lost control of both the Castle, and me."

Namine looked at me carefully. Her eyes were young but hard and pierced further into me than I cared for. "I sense something threatening lurking inside you and I don't know what it is. I want you to meet Ansem. I think he might be able to tell us all a little more about this rogue Heart of yours."

She fell into silence. I sat for a long time, looking thoughtfully down at the paper in front of me. The things she said, as farfetched as they seemed, did make sense. If all this talk of Hearts and Nobodies was real, then all she stated could very well be true. Before I asked her anything new, I wanted to straighten some things out first.

"I've never met anyone named Xehanort before. It was Ansem who turned me into a Heartl-" My voice trailed off as I remembered the words that Mickey had said as we parted ways. "It was a Heartless who called himself Ansem…that turned me into a Heartless." I thought for a moment. "Yes…as a matter of fact I would be very interested in meeting the real Ansem. But tell me, who are Xemnas and Xehanort?"

Namine cocked her head to the side. "You don't know yet?" I shook my head. "Well…Xemnas is the leader of Organization XIII. He is, of course, a Nobody. Xehanort, as King Mickey said, is Heartless. As it so happens, Xemnas is Xehanort's Nobody. Xehanort was an assistant to the real Ansem. Ansem the Wise. Ansem spent his life studying Hearts, I think that even if he can't tell you anything about yours, he'll at least get a kick out of it."

Get a kick out of it? "I'm not sure I'm willing to let this guy, no matter how qualified he is, play around with my heart 'for kicks.'"

Namine smiled slightly and took her drawing pad from me before placing it under her chair. "I can assure you that Ansem will work with the utmost of care. He's the best there is, and it really is necessary. We never know when the next Nobody will pop out of you."

I nodded reluctantly at her statement. I was not fond of the idea of losing pieces of my heart once every year or so. I would like to know how much is left, and how much more I might lose at this point.

"Alright, he can inspect it, but…no tricks. If this turns out to be another ruse…I will not hesitate to kill you."

Namine nodded and her eyes flicked up over my shoulder, looking at something I couldn't see. From behind me, I heard a very strange noise. There was a whir of energy and some beeps. I whirled around in my chair to see a very low resolution man sharpen and then become clear against the bright white walls.

He was wearing odd clothes and his head was wrapped almost entirely in red bandages. Only his mouth and one eye showed between the red cloths. He looked wise, but sad. His one eye was deep set and looked very tired. He took a step forward and leaned in close to me. I felt his stare pull me in half to get a better look at me. He let out an interested sigh and then straightened up.

He held out a gloved hand and smiled a small smile.

"My name is DiZ, it is nice to meet you."

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Shitty ending to a chapter I know. Long time to wait for a short chapter as well. However, I'm hoping that the content makes up for it.

Sorry it took so long but I kinda lacked motivation. There are a serious lack of reviews in chapter 23, not because you didn't write them, I think, but because you all submitted them while fanfiction dot net was down. So I didn't get them In any case, I would really appreciate you dropping some by chapter 23 if you have nothing better to do, but honestly? Don't worry to much about it. It's not a demand or anything. But please! Mention your opinion on the OCs in this review, its really important to me to know what you think.

Oh! And thank you to Raging Phoenix, Zimma Smith, Unita, Shadows in the Light, and xsaturnine as well as anyone who I didn't get yours from for reviewing. You are all very cool people.

Hope you like the exposition and get ready for the final chapter of Angel memories.


	25. Enflame, Escape, Erase

Here it is everybody. The last chapter of Angel Memories. It's been a long hard road to something that looks like a success. I hope you enjoy it everyone. Cause this is the end.

Disclaimers: ruin dramatic tension. I don't own things.

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Angel Memories: Final Chapter

Enflame, Escape, Erase

(entrust)

The hand floated in front of me. It looked almost like it was flickering in the air. I reached out carefully to grasp it. As my hand grew nearer, something inside me began to whine. When I was within an inch of contact, I realized that there was nothing really there. Quietly, I withdrew my hand.

"I don't take kindly to illusions."

DiZ frowned slightly and then straightened up. He placed his hand behind his back and looked at me again. His one eye tightened with thought and then he smiled. A loud deep laugh shook his body. "Well…you certainly are good, aren't you?" There was another whir of clicks and beeps and part of DiZ evaporated into tiny neon blocks before reforming again. "Although I'm not quite an illusion, just a projection. It's a bit difficult for one as old as me to travel all the time like you youngsters."

A projection. A fancy word for illusion. I was starting to like this DiZ character less and less. "I don't have any interest in banter and conversation," I said sharply. "DiZ, what is going on with my Heart?"

The projected man frowned slightly. "Not interested in…" He looked confused but shook his head to rid him of thought. "Well…I suppose you've had a long day. I can understand that you might not be in the mood for pleasantries." He sighed deeply. "Sephiroth, Namine here has told you most of what you need to know already. With your permission, I would like to study what remains of your Heart. Not only could this be beneficial to you, but I could get some valuable information from it."

I mulled over the idea in my head. "So by scratching my back, I'm already scratching yours?"

"Indeed."

I looked at the flickering form of DiZ. "And how can I be sure that you won't do something wrong? Am I supposed to trust that you are so competent that you won't cause me any harm through your procedures?"

DiZ looked startled for a moment. "Sephiroth…I'm not planning to dissect you. All the work can be done perfectly effectively without even touching the Heart itself. Should I require anymore than those safe procedures, I will inform you long before I try anything." His one eye looked away and his voice dropped a little bit, like he was recalling some far off memory. "I know the value of a Heart."

I swept my eyes over the projection briefly. He seemed to at least know what he was talking about. I did feel like I could trust him. Not to mention that I didn't want to spend anymore time with the chance that my heart might tear apart at any moment. That thought made me shudder. I didn't remember any specifics about being a Heartless, but I could remember feelings and flashes of images. I did not like what I saw.

"Alright DiZ. I'll let you do your inspection," I said carefully. "But I'm warning you right now, if you so much as rub me the wrong way, if I even feel like you are keeping something about me a secret, if I get the slightest inclination that something is more wrong than it was before, I swear that I am going to kill you," I said with a cold stare.

DiZ blinked and then frowned. "Rather harsh conditions, but not difficult to follow," he said thoughtfully. "It will be as you desire."

"Good," I said sharply. "Now please explain what kind of procedure this is going to be. What am I going to need to do?"

DiZ looked at me for a second and then to Namine. "Namine, would you be so kind as to lead Sephiroth to the room?" Namine nodded and stood up, motioning me to follow her. I stood up, feeling suspicious, but followed her. DiZ drew up beside me and began to talk again. "We are going to put you in a stasis chamber. You will then have your mind connected to your Heart. From there, we can monitor what you see and feel."

We reached a door and passed through it into a hall lined with bright white pods. Each of the pods resembled a flower of some sort and were nearly opaque.

"From what Namine has observed so far, I can be fairly sure that you will experience something unpleasant while you are connected to your Heart. You might feel pain, you might feel like you are even going to die, but I can assure you completely, that you can not come to any actual harm." I gave DiZ a questioning look. "No matter how connected you are, you can not be absorbed or attacked by your own Heart. You have no need to fear any sort of retaliation from anything in it either."

"What kind of pain are you talking about?" I asked slowly. This procedure was sounding less and less attractive with every new development.

"You will be transported into your Heart and you will feel everything that the other Nobodies inside you feel. Judging from what Keter was saying, that is not at all desirable." We reached a large white door. DiZ floated forward and held out his right hand. There was a flash of light and a couple beeps, then a click. The door opened.

The room was enormous. Blinding white walls surrounded me, giving off an aura of purity. The floor was streaked with pale green stripes that circled around the center of the room. They glowed soflty, tinting the floor to a strange aquamarine color. In the very center of the room was a large pearl white object. It stood about three feet taller than me and the front appeared to be made out of glass. The entire object looked like a giant blooming lotus.

"That is the device we are going to use," DiZ's voice echoed in the white chamber. Namine looked at the projection, which nodded, and then walked over beside the pod and began to poke at a small raised keyboard that protruded from the ground beside it.

I eyed the pod. It reminded me too much of the years I had spent in stasis in that crystal, waiting for Cloud. I shuddered slightly with the memory of it. While I looked at the ominous machine, I voiced my concerns to DiZ. "Is there anything I need to do? Or prepare for?"

DiZ grinned and chuckled slightly. "All you need to do is step into the pod and wait. Namine and I will take care of everything else." He shook his head and drifted over to Namine. "If you are worried about the pain I was talking about earlier, you should stop, when the test is over, you won't feel any of the pain you experience while inside your heart."

Easy for him to say. The look on Keter's face kept coming back to me. That tortured expression, Binah's screams, Chokhmah's eyes. They all kept flashing inside my mind. If they did come from my Heart, and have that kind of fear, what could possibly be inside me to cause such terror in such strong individuals?

It doesn't matter now though. I need to act, or these things in me will get the better of me eventually. No matter what lies ahead, stepping back will only result in destruction. And besides, the pain won't be permanent, supposedly.

Without a word, I walked to the large pod. As I drew nearer, the thin layer of translucent glass shuddered and shrank away. Quietly, I stepped up and into the pod. It was cool inside the thing, and I felt slightly lighter than I had while outside. I turned around to find the glass layer slowly sliding upwards in front of me. My mind fpasmed for a brief second, pondering the possibility of this all being a trap, but I soon calmed it and took a deep breath.

Without warning, the world on the other side of the glass in front of me twisted and swirled violently. The colors mixed and merged and then split and one by one, all the hues turned pure black. I felt myself shrink. I felt myself growing smaller within my own skin. I felt myself connecting with something deep and meaningful inside myself. I felt pain. It came slowly at first. The pinhole in the darkness appeared and I felt it pierce through me. It began to grow. The glowing light began to brighten and grow until it was all I could see in any direction around me.

I could hear screams. Around me, I could feel presences, simple existences surrounding me, moving fast and crying out as they went. It wasn't really screaming though, it was more of an emotion, no, a definition. These orbiting things around me were too simple to have emotions, but what they had was a very specific tone to their being. A tone of pain and fear.

Suddenly I became aware of my own fear. It washed over me and became me in an instant. This light in front of me hurt so much. I had to get away from it. Fear, pain, and a will to escape was everything I was. Run! Run! There isn't any movement, there isn't any escape from it but I keep running from it while the light is burning me constantly. What is it? What is this light? What is this pain?

**AIN. **

Everything I am shook with the new thought. It filled me completely and I felt my entire existence burst into flames at that very second. The fear reached a peak and kept on pushing. The screaming grew louder as the light burned brighter. It wants to destroy me!

**AIN SOPH. **

No…it wants to devour me. Faster and faster I move, my self and being burns without any mercy from the Ain Soph, but I can't possibly get any further from the thing. Is there no hope here? All of us, are we doomed?

In spite of my rapid degeneration of hope, I continue to search desperately for an escape. How, how can I die? How can this thing consume me? There must be a way, but there is no way. The best I can possibly do is to keep running in place to avoid this horrible burning light.

I am going to be devoured!

Stop! Stop it! Make it go away, give me darkness! Let the flames searing my essence burn away! Stop it! Stop everything! _Aaaaauuuggghhh!_

"_Aaaaaaahh!_"

I strained forward, crashing against the translucent glass in front of me. My heart was pounding and my eyes were burning with tears. I slammed my fists against the glass and screamed again. The pain! The pain…

My hands searched my body. Everything felt fine. The fire that had filled every molecule of my body and scorched me down to my very soul, had extinguished itself and I found that I felt completely fine. I looked down at my pale sweating palms. They were trembling fiercely. I fell to my knees and let my arms fall limply to my sides. I'm ok? But…just now…that light….

"_AAAAAAHHHH!_" The memory of the intense light came rushing back to my mind. My mouth opened involuntarily and let loose a scream that rubbed my throat raw. Physically, I was shaky but completely unharmed. My mouth felt completely dry as I slowly stood up again. Whatever that…thing…was, it can't really hurt me. DiZ knows what he's talking about, so why should I feel so afraid? There's no reason for it. Calm down. Calm down and think.

"This is incredible…" DiZ's voice echoed through the large room, piercing my glass cage and reaching my ears. "Namine…rotate the pod, he deserves to see this." There was a low beep and then the room outside of the glass panned by until I was facing Namine and DiZ. Namine looked confused but excited, and DiZ looked completely blown away. They were both staring at a small three dimensional projection of whirring information.

"Well?" I said after a moment's silence. I was annoyed to see that my voice was still somewhat weak. I cleared my throat before speaking again. "What did you find out?"

"So much," DiZ said with a whisper. Then he shook his head and looked up at me. "I apologize for what you must have gone through. According to these readings…it must have been agonizing." I shuddered slightly and nodded. "In any case, let me explain the situation." Behind me, a small white platform protruded from the wall of the pod. DiZ motioned for me to take a seat.

"First things first. We have determined there to be between six and eight pieces of your Heart wandering inside you. We must consider all of them to be threats to you. They have just as much of a chance for escape as did Keter and your other Nobodies." DiZ sighed slightly. "We have also figured out _why_ the shards want to escape. I'm sure you can figure it out as well."

"The Ain Soph…" I whispered, feeling fear wash into my mind again. Silently, I struggled with the irrational fear and finally thrust it back into the corner of my brain.

"Exactly. Keter mentioned it as well. The Ain Soph, a light so pure and bright that it would burn and destroy all those who approach it. There are many legends about the Ain Soph. People like me, obsessive researchers of old, people obsessed with creating and studying, they searched for how to create light, just as I tried to create darkness so long ago." DiZ laughed a melancholy hollow laugh. "Just like Icarus, all those who tried to reach the light, were burned to death by it.

"I myself don't have that much information on the Ain Soph. What I know, is that it is a source of light, not in the sense of how a light bulb emits light, in the sense that it actually creates the very essence of light. It is very dangerous, simply seeing it, can not only kill, but obliterate any person, let alone touching it. It is because of this, that the shards of your Heart are constantly seeking to escape. Because they do not have physical manifestations, they can not be destroyed by it, but it will continue to burn and cause them pain beyond imagining."

"That's horrible…" Namine's soft voice whispered in terror at the thought.

"Of course it is," DiZ said slowly. "But that is not all…each of these shards possess different personalities. Their basic existence is thin, but the components are fascinating. Even from this small glimpse of data-"

"DiZ," I interrupted. The man seemed like he could continue on for days with this recent development. "What can we do to stop them from getting out and leaving me as a Heartless?" Namine looked at me in surprise. She seemed confused about something. That I didn't care about the pain of these Nobodies? Should she really be so shocked? It was thanks to her that I had gotten the better of my sympathy.

DiZ faltered for a seconds, bewildered that he had just been interrupted. When he had recovered, he cleared his throat and spoke again. "Erm…yes…what can be done about it. Certainly." There was a long pause. Despite myself, my impatience was getting the better of me. I was about to tell him to hurry up when he sighed loudly. "There's nothing we can do yet."

What? Nothing they could do? After all the hype of his wisdom, this man could do nothing to help me? Hmph…well…I suppose it only goes to show. I really shouldn't get my hopes up like that.

"But there is a chance that we can avoid catastrophe," DiZ said. He was speaking slowly now. His words seemed to be very carefully chosen. "Your Heart…or what's left of it at this point, is incredibly unstable. This is to say that if you experience severe emotional, mental, or physical trauma, these shards inside you could burst free at any second."

"I understand that," I said darkly.

"Please," DiZ said with a pleading tone. "Let me finish." He looked to me and I nodded grudgingly. "What I propose," he continued, "is that we take the unstable aspects of your Heart, meaning the shards and the Ain Soph, and transfer it into a more stable Heart, into someone else's Heart. Of course, we will leave whatever is still unharmed inside you."

Take my Heart out and give it to someone else for safekeeping? This sounded absurd. "And how is this going to help me put my Heart back together?"

"While the unstable pieces are in someone else's hands, your remaining Heart will have time to strengthen and grow. The hope is that it will grow enough that when you take back the broken pieces, it will be able to tame them itself."

That seems like it makes sense. I wasn't aware that Hearts re-grow themselves. Very strange things, Hearts, Hojo would have a field day with this DiZ character. "So what exactly do I need to do? And where am I going to be while this Heart growing is taking place?"

DiZ nodded slightly as though he was acknowledging my curiosity. "You don't need to do much. You'll be here the whole time, in this pod. The process should take roughly one year. Namine and I will be watching you very carefully to make sure nothing goes wrong." He looked upwards for a moment in thought. "Actually, all you need to do is give us your consent, and a person of your choosing to give your Heart to."

A person of my choosing? Well…that seems easy enough. "Why not one of the other Nobodies that exist currently? If they want a heart so much, shy not give them what they want for a while. Then I can just take it back after a year and be done with it."

Namine's head drooped and I could see a very dark scowl on her face. DiZ shook his head. "It seems I haven't made myself clear. First of all, it is extremely unwise to give your Heart to a Nobody. They will definitely not want to give it back to you when you want it again. Secondly, you need to give it to someone who is very close to you; someone who you already have a deep connection with. Friendship, kinship, love, the deeper the bond runs, the easier the transaction will be."

A bond? A deep bond. How amusing. I never thought I would have to rely on becoming close to others in order to survive. Yet here I am, with a time bomb inside me ticking closer and closer to destruction unless I give it to someone who I know well. Who do I know?

Leon…we only just met…but we seem to have a rather lot in common. The boy is quiet and stoic. He doesn't waste words. He certainly has a strong Heart. Very responsible. Haha…listen to me, I sound like I'm picking a husband. But he won't do…I've barely known him for a few weeks. Yuffie…Cid…no. The girl is too different from me and the pilot is too distrustful of me.

Aerith? Now that's an interesting thought. It's rather unorthodox…but in spite of everything that happened on the Planet, we have something very deep. I don't think I could ever put a name to it, it's not love or kinship or even a matter of respect, but we share something almost infinite. And her Heart must be strong enough to hold mine at bay.

But…what if Keter and the other Nobodies come after her? What if, by some turn of events, they discover this transaction and make a move to capture the caretaker of my Heart? Aerith isn't strong enough to beat them. I can't put that responsibility on her.

Sora? He has enough on his plate already. King Mickey too…they both have a lot to deal with without some intensely strong Nobodies trailing them. Riku? Riku. What stronger bond is there than being created from one another's genes? Riku is strong as well. I remember him standing there against the roiling sea of darkness before I had come to Castle Oblivion. He could take care of my Heart, couldn't he?

No…I'm still not sure how strong his Heart really is. Is it possible that Ansem…no…Xehanort is still trying to possess his Heart? Why weaken his with the addition of mine? What good would that do any of us? So it can't be Riku. Then…who else is there? Who do I have a stronger bond than Riku with? Who is strong enough to fight Keter and live? Who has a strong Heart?

A strong bond…a strong heart…strong…

But…I've already put him through so much. I can't make him deal with anymore of me. I can't keep feeding him my darkness so I can be free of it. All this time, haven't I been seeking his forgiveness? And now I am seriously contemplating giving him my largest problem? But there isn't any other person…and didn't I swear to look after myself at all costs?

"Alright…" I shook myself from my reverie and rubbed my temples with my index finger and thumb. "DiZ, you can send the shards and other pieces to anyone I ask you to?"

"As long as they are alive and fit the requirements, yes, anyone you ask." DiZ paused for a moment and looked down at Namine who looked very anxious. "Ah…there is one more thing you should know…before you make any decisions." He sighed. "I would have preferred not to tell you about this at all, but it seems Namine has more of a conscience than I." He turned away. "Namine, say your piece."

Namine looked at me with her sunken eyes and brushed a pale fingertip against the glass surface. "If you do this…everyone will forget you." What? What does she mean by 'forget me?' "Because my power rests mainly in the alteration of memories, such an intense procedure will erase everyone's memories of you since your world was destroyed, even yours." She faltered for a moment and rubbed her right eye silently. He balled up hand came away moist. "Leon won't know who you are, Aerith will never remember forgiving you. Sora and Riku both, will never know you existed. All their lives will be just like you had never existed. People will only remember when you get the pieces of your Heart back. Until then, you won't even know that you are looking for them."

No one…will remember me? After everything that happened, and no one will remember a thing? How can so much be erased so simply? How can everything I learned, everything I changed…be gone so fast? But…memories are just memories…nothing more. Losing them…maybe it would be better for everyone if they did.

"What about Keter?" I asked quietly.

Namine looked at me sharply. She looked as though she were on the verge of tears. "They will forget, just like everyone else."

"Then…" I could hardly say it. "Then this is for the best."

DiZ turned around and strode up to the glass. "Alright, that's all I needed to hear." Namine began to protest but DiZ gave her a sharp look that silenced her. "He has made his own decision. You told him everything and he chose survival over memories. You can't begrudge him that, Namine." Namine wiped away a sparkling tear and nodded slightly. "Good…engage the device then."

Namine turned away and began tapping on the raised keyboard next to the pod. There was a whir and then a click, then the room dimmed slightly. Another beep sounded and suddenly the ceiling became very bright. I looked upwards to see thousands of tiny strands spider webbed across the top of the room.

"Every one of those is someone who has either seen you or heard about you in some way." DiZ was whispering slightly. "To many of them, it won't make a difference to have your memory gone, all they did was hear it in a passing conversation. But to some, a good part of their life will now be erased and they will never even know." The rainbow strands glittered softly in the dim room. "Have you decided who you will pass your Heart on to?" I nodded silently and DiZ returned the motion. "Very good, please, give us the name and we will establish the link."

Say the name. Say the name and my fear leaves me. Say the name and I sleep for a year. Say the name and everyone forgets. Say the name…and I forget. Say the name…

"Cloud Strife."

There was a rapid tapping of keys and DiZ turned away. "Rest well."

I looked up again. In a split second, all of the magnificent rainbow cords snapped in unison. Thousands upon thousands of strings broke and faded away in something less than time. One remained in the middle of it all. One single glowing strand waited. I felt the fear leave me. I saw the pieces of my Heart travel up that string and out over the horizon. I saw it cross worlds and galaxies. I saw a blond haired young man gaze out into a vermillion sunset. I saw the light enter him and nestle deep within his own brilliant Heart.

And then…I saw nothing.

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That's all she wrote folks. So Angel Memories comes to a close along with my school year. I must say, despite the time it took to write at the end here, I really enjoyed writing it. I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Now let me answer some questions that will be coming up.

**THERE WILL BE MORE.** I can assure you that this is not the end of Sephiroth's story. I fully intend to follow this through KH2 and even beyond that(not KH3, my own final arc) after all, we hardly know anything about Keter and crew yet.

I will be taking a break though. I wanna write a few chapters of the next story before I actually update any and so far I have written none. I also have a few other brief oneshot Ideas that id like to put out there.

Last but not least, I want to thank everyone who reviewed. You guys don't know how much it means to me that even after I've been writing for so long, you're still there throwing praise at me. There is no better feeling in the world than opening my mail and seeing a review smiling back at me (sounded stupid I know) and it really helped me through a lot of the creativity lulls.

So good night everyone, and have a good one. Cheers!


	26. Preview

So…because I am a review whore…I present to you a preview of the next installment of Seph's story. This is part of a chapter in the next arc which I am going to call…

Broken Halo

Unruly tendrils of shadow fell messily over the midnight blue spectacles on the Heartless' face. Bright yellow eyes squinted slightly. That squint brought back memories. I used to be subject to that squint every day. It still brought back the same feelings of resentment as it did so long ago.

"What is it this time?"

The Heartless cocked its head slightly in thought. With a single dark finger, it reached up and pushed the half-moon further up the bridge of its nose. It studied me intently for another moment and then grinned widely. Its mouth was black as night with shadowy, almost spectral teeth that appeared almost to be moving on their own.

"You're different than before, you know."

"Yes."

For a brief moment, the dark smile drooped and the golden eyes narrowed. Then the face cracked into a wider smirk. Its head turned to face the small crowd behind me. "You certainly keep some strange company now."

From behind me, I heard a step and an angry grunt. I waved an arm to silence the man. "This…_strange company_," I spat the words back at him. "This strange company," I repeated with a smile. I felt warm inside and turned back to look at them.

"These strange companions are my friends."

The Heartless' smile dropped entirely and for a second, he looked dumbstruck. He tried to speak, but only sputtered useless halting sentences. He fell silent and took a deep breath. Then, he burst into raucous laughter. He laughed long and hard, his shadowy body undulating with gasping heaves. Silently, I wiped the blood that had been running down my cheek away. When his barks of laughter died away, he giggled slightly and spoke again.

"_Friends?_" He laughed again. "Friends? My dear boy, you _have_ changed. Oh good lord have you changed. What happened to you? What happened to that killing instinct? What happened to that air of invincibility? What happened to your goal? Where did it all go?" He chuckled softly.

"I really outdid myself, didn't I?" He smiled toward the sky. "It seems that the experiment has finally gone beyond my calculations. No, beyond anything I could have imagined! This is wonderful! You've evolved! This is fantastic! What a brilliant idea." Breath was coming swiftly now, his chest rapidly moved up and down with his quick intake of air. "But…"

The Heartless disappeared. There was a flash of shadow to my left. As quick as I could, I pulled Masamune up and thrust it forward. A loud clang resounded from the meeting of blade on shadow and two half ovals of glass peered up at me from behind a dark blade consisting of shadow.

"As spectacular as you are, you are still a failure." The pressure increased on my blade and my arms began to shake. "And failures…" My muscles shuddered in protest. How could one Heartless be so strong? "Must be deleted!"

I broke the connection between our blades and whirled away. Like a liquid blur, the Heartless followed and broke through my hastily created defense. I hadn't been expecting this kind of speed. I had underestimated him.

"Goodbye boy! Don't worry, I'll build an even better version of you!" The dark blade in his hands flipped and twisted like a snake, aiming for my throat.

A milky white line of light appeared in my peripheral vision and immediately ripped through my sight. The single beam of light ripped through the Heartless, and blew him to the ground. The dark blade flew out of his hands and flew wildly past my face, slicing a shallow cut in my cheek.

The Heartless smashed against the ground and bounced up. He found his voice and let out an unearthly howl. His eyes expanded and his mouth opened unnaturally wide. Then, after a second, he evaporated into a fine black dust. The spectacles remained and dropped with a clink next to a pearl white object embedded in the ground.

"I _do_ so hate Heartless." An effeminate voice echoed over the barren wasteland. My heart was still beating quickly and I felt as though I had been holding my breath, but I turned to find where the new voice had come from.

"Heartless…just don't have any sense of beauty in them. They don't appreciate the splendor of battle. They really are ugly brutes."

Two men stood, tinted orange in the dying light of the sunset, across the gray plains. One of them held a large white bow that curved in strange ways that I had never seen before. His face was gentle and gorgeous, with perfect skin and eyes so alive; they looked like they could speak. His hair was a light shade of silver, bordering on white that was pulled back into a long loose pony tail that reached his thighs.

He wore all white clothing that seemed to fit perfectly wherever it fell. His whole body was thin and reminded me of a deer. He took a graceful step forward and shouldered his bow.

"Magnificent as ever, Artemis." He patted his bow. "We haven't missed a target yet." His voice was high and pretty against the piercing winds of the surrounding area. In a glorious movement, he turned and faced his partner with eager eyes. "Wasn't it gorgeous? Seeing that Heartless destroyed in a single attack?"

I pulled my eyes away from the beautiful man and glanced at his companion. Masamune shuddered slightly with excitement. I gripped the hilt tighter and grimaced at the sight of the man. He smiled warmly at his beautiful companion and reached out a hand. his palm rested gently on his partner's head and then ran down the back of his neck in a loving gesture.

"Of course, Tiphereth. You've done beautifully as always."

Tiphereth smiled a stunning smile and blushed. "You're too kind." The man straightened up and tossed his hair with his free hand. "So, can we take the Container now, or do we have to wait for the others?"

"Wait, Tiphereth. It won't be long now." The tall man unsheathed his sword which gleamed in the orange glow. "Soon all of our brothers and sisters will be here."

Tiphereth nodded and lowered his bow to his side. "If you say so. You are our leader after all. I will do whatever you say, Keter.

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Exciting, no? Of course it is! New characters! A (not all that) mysterious Heartless! Friends? And romance! Gay romance even. Isn't that crazy? Don't worry, all you homophobes out there won't have to read any sex scenes or even kissing. All you horny homosexuals, I apologize. Everyone in between or whoever doesn't really care about sexual persuasions, be excited for the new element.

So there that is. Tell me what you think. I want to inspire the same kind of tension for the upcoming fic that square enix did about advent children except without the wait. Obviously I wont be able to because im like seventeen and just a writer, but one can dream.


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